


Fall and Rise

by Obdobuk



Category: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - Rick Riordan, Overwatch (Video Game), Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, NaNoWriMo, Overwatch AU, Writing practice
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-01-25 13:58:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 100,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12533132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Obdobuk/pseuds/Obdobuk
Summary: Five years ago, Overwatch fell. It's members either dead or scattered to the wind. Each one lost in ways they don't even realise. But now something dark is coming. Something that could threaten the whole world. And the only ones who can stop it are a handful of broken heroes who are more likely to turn on each other than their enemy.Five years ago, Overwatch fell. Now, Overwatch must rise.





	1. Blast from the Past

It was an office that had seen it's best days. A simple space. There was a desk, atop which sat a computer, several pictures and a phone. In front of the desk was a chair. The computer was adequate but only barely, whilst the phone was a corded relic with a rotary dial. Both were covered in a substantial amount of dust. The desk itself was partially discoloured from decades of exposure to sunlight. A simple diamond of pale wood lay in the centre, courtesy of the sun angling through the window pane. The chair was one that could be found all over the world. The kind where the cushioning doesn't help and the back always creaks. The pictures were the only items that were obviously cared for. Highly polished frames made of stained mahogany, held the images behind the glass. There were several of them, featuring the same set of young faces over and over again. Perhaps they weren't that young. But to the man sitting in the chair, they would always be children.

He picked up one of the pictures and held it in his hands. The rough calluses of his fingertips caressed the two dimensional faces of the ones he loved the most. The man loved them all of course, but these two...he smiled softly. These two would always be his favourite. A small sigh escaped him as he returned the picture to its place and stood up, stretching hard. He was getting old and his body didn't work as it once did. A bitter look crossed his face. He had once stood amongst the finest soldiers and warriors on the planet and had been able to be counted as one of the best. But now? He was plagued with the aches and pains of age. A battle not even the legendary Chiron could win.

He moved to stand against the wall, looking out of the window. He could feel the night chill seeping through the glass. His eyes roamed over the fields. A habit that had saved his life many times. But if it was skill that had prolonged his life then was it his fault that so many of his people had died? Had he trained them poorly? Was their blood on his hands? These thoughts came to him at night, every night. And each night they robbed him of his sleep. Chiron turned from the window and moved through the dark room towards the stairs.

His office, such as it was, could be found on the top floor of his home. A three storey house that would not have looked out of place had it been on the beach. But sitting in the middle of rolling fields on Long Island, it failed to blend in. Chiron walked down past his bedroom and left the building through the kitchen before stopping on his deck. This was his favourite spot. He had bought the house for this alone. The deck was completely made from white wood and the paint was peeling. The railing was strong and old. A hammock lay to the right of the door whilst the old owners had left a Pinochle set to the left; he had always meant to learn how to play. Two windows looked into the house but Chiron faced outwards. Towards the Long Island Sound.

There was a fair amount of land between him and the water but he could still see it clearly enough. Whenever he could't sleep he came and stood here. The sound of the tide could calm him when nothing else could, and sure enough, within minutes he had relaxed. The thoughts of all the men and women he had lost were gone. But he still thought of his children. He wondered where they were? He wondered if they were happy, if they were safe. He wondered if he would ever hear their voices again.

"You're getting old Chiron. The entire building is surrounded and you had no idea we were even here".

That was a voice. A dead voice. But not dead. It must be a hallucination. He had been thinking about old times and his brain conjured this. It was the only explanation. But no part of him really believed that. Chiron turned, shocked. There was a man sitting on his hammock. He should have been killed by the defences that had been installed. The motion sensors should have tripped. The pressure plates should have activated. But Chiron didn't care about any of these. They didn't matter. Only one thing did.

"Luke...you're alive..." Luke laughed scornfully and stood up. He moved forwards and stood in the moonlight. The sight of his face was like a punch to Chiron's stomach. It was him. One of the first soldiers under his command. One of his first children. He still had the same short blond hair and the same proud nose. The scar running from his left eyebrow to his jawline hadn't faded much. But Luke's eyes,,,his blue eyes were different. They had been full of excitement and eagerness. A window to the boy within who just wanted to change the world. Now they were cold and hard. Like chips of glacial ice that were staring back at him.

"I was just being a dick earlier but I was right. You have gotten old Chiron. Slow. In the old days you would have figured it all out by now". Luke crossed his arms and rested against the railing "Don't worry, I'll wait for you to get there". The sight tore at Chiron's heart. How many times had they stood exactly like this. The student and the teacher. Until it had all ...Luke was right. He was slow.

"It was you". The young man clapped. The sound echoing in the silence that Chiron was only just registering. It was never silent here. During the day it was alive with birds singing and bees buzzing. At night the faint buzz of insects could be heard with the grasshoppers talking over the rest. Since he had lived here, it had never been silent. How had he not realised that something was wrong?

"Congratulations! It took you five years and a man coming back from the dead but you finally figured it out!" Luke mocked him. Slowly, Chiron was starting to pull himself together. The appearance of Luke was something no one could have predicted. But soldiers adapted or they died. And Chiron was very good at staying alive. He slowed his breathing and relaxed his body, all the while expanding his senses. He could now hear the rustle of clothing and the shifting of bodies. Occasionally the squawk of a radio. Chiron estimated at least twenty combatants in the perimeter. Then there was Luke. Easily more dangerous than all the others combined.

"Why are you here Luke?" The young soldier grinned.  
"Oho I know that expression. Chiron's "Shit is about to go down" face. No matter how hard I tried, I could never do it quite like you". Chiron stayed still, his brain finally working properly. Simulations and strategies being created and destroyed in moments. Possibilities and probabilities filling his mind. But he gave no outward sign and waited for Luke to continue. "I'm here because the world is about to change Chiron. I am going to change it. And I won't have you get in my way".  
"That's not what I meant. Why are you here, standing before me? You could have taken me out at fifteen hundred yards, you-".  
"Two thousand in this weather. No wind". Chiron shook his head.  
"No wind, but the only vantage point that would give you the correct angle at that distance would have had you facing the moon". Chiron gestured to the full moon, casting its stolen light down upon them, "And you could never fire into light. Remember?" Luke scowled. He didn't care for the throwback to old times. Having his failures pointed out by his commander. His idol. Luke's temper snapped.  
"You want to know why I came here! It's because I thought I should deliver a final goodbye, despite the fact that you don't deserve one", Luke spat. "You failed all of us. You called us your children but you brought us into a war that had no end. You ruined our lives! You got us killed!" The words, eerily similar to his own thoughts, tore at Chiron like bullets. But he stood there, waiting. "I'm glad I came here tonight. I got to see the look in your eyes when you learnt the truth. And I'll get to see the look in your eyes when you die! Fire!"

Luke screamed the last command into his radio but Chiron was already moving. He may have been old, but he wasn't dead yet. The bullets tore through the space where Chiron had been standing and buried themselves into the walls behind. Splinters of wood flew everywhere. Chiron had blurred right half a second before Luke gave the kill order. The other soldiers were thrown by his agility but Luke expected it. He drew his sidearm with a single, flawless, motion but it was deflected before he could aim. Chiron held Luke's right arm with his left and slammed his bare foot into Luke's chest. The young soldier went hurtling backwards, his body smashing through the railing. Chiron used the impact to propel himself back into his house.

"ACTIVATE HERMIT PROTOCOL!" Chiron roared as he flew through the door. Landing hard, he rolled backwards onto his feet just in time to see solid steel shutters drop down over every door and window. Soft white light filled the building and one of his bookshelves automatically slid to the side revealing his weapons chest. "Thank you Valdez" he muttered to himself.

He ran to his weaponry and flipped open the chest. It held all of his supplies from the past wars. He donned a bulletproof vest and inserted a pair of modified earplugs. Loud noises were blocked but conversation passed right on through. An M4 assault rifle was the first weapon to come out. He slung it over his neck and dug back into the chest. A SIG Sauer handgun slotted into a holster that he wrapped around his right thigh. It was then that Chiron realised he wasn't wearing any footwear. The bullets they had begun to fire into the steel shielding sounded like hail on a tin roof. Chiron was sure that they were using the highest calibre bullets they had, but the shielding held. A testament to the engineer who had outfitted this house. The old soldier pulled on a pair of combat boots and moved to the back of his home; the most defensible position he had.

Chiron took cover behind a wall that jutted out to separate the kitchen from the living room. There was steel to his back and only one entrance to the building. That door opened straight into the kitchen and was directly in Chiron's line of sight. He chambered a round and waited. Luke would use the explosives any moment now.

A powerful blast shook the house. Dust trickled down from the ceiling as cracks spider-webbed through the plaster. The metal shield covering the door bowed but held. Leo did good work, Chiron thought to himself. He must remember to give him his compliments. If he survived this. A second explosion blew the door clean off its hinges and shadows appeared. Bracing his weapon against his shoulder, Chiron aimed and fired into the crowd. Short, controlled bursts into the pack. Screams of pain followed immediately. Panning his barrel side to side, Chiron aimed at anything that moved and fired without hesitation. Soon the order came to halt the breach. The enemy immediately pulled back out of his kill zone; using the steel of his defences for their own purpose.

Chiron reloaded his primary and waited for him. He knew he wouldn't have to wait for long. "I'm guessing this is Leo's work!" Luke called out as he rapped his weapon against the steel. The ring of metal sounded through the space between them, somewhat muffled by the dust and gun smoke that had filled the room and obstructed his view. "It's impressive! I'll have to give orders to take him in the open!" Chiron started. He had never considered that Luke would target anyone else. He had foolishly assumed that it would be just him. The rules of engagement had just changed; Chiron was now facing an actual threat.

Luke moved forwards just as Chiron did. Both of them firing only single shots; the need to be accurate ingrained in both of them. They mirrored each others movements. They stepped forwards out of cover, weapons raised and fired where the other was going to be. They both changed direction at the same time. Zigzagging in perfect symmetry around the kitchen in a violent and deadly dance. All it needed was a single misstep and one of them would die. But not a single mistake was made. Chiron dropped his rifle to hang from the webbing and surged forwards towards his former student. Luke's eyes widened as he saw a large shadow tear through the dusty air. He raised an arm to block a crippling blow to his neck. Luke replied with a knee to the stomach. Which was turned aside like an afterthought before Chiron slammed his head down onto Luke's nose. He stumbled back before Chiron once again kicked him in the chest. This time, he flew much further away.

Chiron was finally warmed up. Enraged at the threat against his children he made to walk out of the building just as Luke cried out "ETHAN!" and four blocks of C4 were thrown through the doorway. Chiron took one glance at the package flying through the air and dived back towards the protection he had started behind.

Clearly if Luke couldn't destroy it from without then he would destroy it from within. His tactics were getting old but they were effective. Chiron huddled behind the wall and pulled a fire blanket over himself just as the bomb exploded. The wall and body armour protected him from most of the percussive blast whilst the blanket held back the heat that followed when the gas line ruptured and ignited. The house trembled and probably would have fallen down had the steel defences not been in place. They were now carrying the weight of the house and they held barely. It was becoming more and more unstable with every second that passed.

The soldier blinked sluggishly. He had been uncomfortably close to many explosions but you never quite got used to them. The shock wave had addled his senses and, for a few seconds, he was slightly less dangerous than a newborn kitten. Thankfully, no one was there to take advantage of that fact. Chiron brought himself, slowly, to his feet. Dragging himself up the wall, a part of his mind registered that it shouldn't be bending as it was currently doing beneath his hands. He stood tall under his own strength and took several short and shallow breaths. There was too much smoke and dust in the air to do anything else.

He cautiously moved from behind his wall. The kitchen was destroyed. The bomb had ripped a crater in the floor and vaporised everything within ten feet. A matching hole had been made in the ceiling while a spigot of fire was blazing over the break in the gas line. Chiron eyed it uneasily and gingerly stepped away. The force of the explosion had stripped away some of the walls to the steel defences. On one was written "IF YOU CAN READ THIS, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY CALL 911".

Goddammit Valdez...

He continued to move towards the exit. His boots crunched on rubble and glass and Chiron immediately wondered whether his pictures were O.K. He flattened himself against the wall, beside the door and listened. The building was still groaning from the blast but he could hear movement outside. Footsteps. Chatter. Helicopter blades. That last one was quiet but getting louder; they were getting picked up. He poked his head out from the door but immediate gunfire had him ducking back inside. The helicopter was practically overhead now. They were being recalled. Chiron dared to stick his head back out for a glimpse. The last soldier was being hoisted up to the helicopter. And standing in that helicopter, holding a large weapon, was Luke. Chiron turned and sprinted up the stairs. He had almost made it to his office when the RPG struck the building. This time, the house fell apart. Two feet from his office, Chiron dived forwards and managed to slam the door shut just as the stairs collapsed from beneath his feet.

He crawled forwards and braced himself between the desk and wall. The pictures that had once sat on his desk were now strewn about the room; the glass shattered across the floor. As the entire building began to tilt absurdly, Chiron wedged himself tighter. The reason he had chosen this room above the others was because in his office, everything was bolted down. The desk, the chair, even the computer and monitor. Only the pictures had been free to move. He was picking them up so much it would have been foolish to secure them. Now Chiron wished he had.

There hadn't been any further movement for a few seconds. Chiron sat perfectly still, breathing slowly. Perhaps, he thought, the house had settled. Perhaps he could-

The building collapsed.

It started with a lurch and did not stop. The shriek of steel against steel pierced the air as the reinforcements fell upon each other. Everything tilted forwards as the front walls finally disintegrated. The house was rushing to meet the floor, and as the topmost room, Chiron's office was going to make a hell of an impact. He braced himself with all his strength but he still went hurtling across the room when the room collided with the ground. Chiron hit the opposite wall with all the force of a car crash, barely having enough time to protect his head. The computer tore free of the desk and followed him, narrowly missing his head. Thankfully, although the desk strained against it's fastenings, it didn't move. He lay there, upside down in a room that wasn't the right way up. As his vision grew darker and his responses more sluggish, he wondered if he could recover his photos.

 

Hours later Chiron regained consciousness. His eyelids fluttered before finally staying open, but it still took a while before he could see anything. At first he thought he was blind. But as his vision slowly adjusted, he realised that it was the middle of a dark and cloudy night. The shape of the room eventually came into view and he sighed in relief. Now for the next matter, he thought. Systematically, Chiron began working his way down his body making sure everything moved; making sure his spine was still intact. He couldn't remember how many times he had sat almost perfectly still and done what he was doing now. Flexing every joint and muscle he had, one at a time.

Chiron was always waiting for the one that wouldn't respond, no matter how hard he tried. He had been at this for far too long. Eventually he was going to stop getting so lucky. But as his little toes wiggled upon request, it became apaprent that he was still charmed. He slowly got to his feet. The room had been tossed onto its side. He stood up straight, standing on what was once the wall. The door was trapped beneath him. Looking up he saw the window through which, what little light there was in the room, was coming through.

Using the chair and desk, Chiron climbed up and punched his way through the window. Shards of glass rained down before he cleared the edges and hoisted himself through. For a second he sat on his perch and examined his house.

It was all gone.

A pile of rubble was all that remained of his house. He waited, expecting to feel any sense of loss. But nothing came. He felt no sorrow or anger. As Chiron looked around at the destruction, all he felt was anticipation. Something big was coming. Luke and his team had left a long time ago but they had come for a single reason. Because whatever they were doing, Chiron could, and would try, to stop them.

That meant, whatever they were doing, was bad.

That meant, whatever they were doing, was big.

That meant, whatever was going to happen, Chiron needed backup.

He made his way out and stumbled away from the destruction. Still dizzy from the impact with the wall, Chiron moved slowly but purposefully as he headed towards a small shed that existed right at the edge of his garden. He passed the ruins of a once beautiful flower bed. Roses, Daisies, Lilies, Gardenias. He had grown them all and now they lay destroyed. Either from the downwash of the helicopter or the tread of enemy boots. This, more than the destruction of his house, annoyed him.

Chiron tore open the wooden door and walked inside. It was smaller than it looked from the outside. Apart from four walls and a roof, there was a pair of gardening gloves, some seeds and a watering can. The door closed behind him and he waited. Eventually a small panel lifted on the wall opposite him to reveal a retinal scanner. Chiron peered into it for a few seconds before it sounded its acceptance. The floor began to descend. Thirty seconds later, he was there.

The room was long and narrow. The far end of it held an array of next gen computers and closer to where Chiron stood there was a highly polished oak meeting table. The walls around it were covered in monitors, each one blank but capable of showing real time news from around the globe. Leading from this room were several dark hallways but Chiron ignored them all. It had been years since he had stepped foot here but he didn't falter as he walked past the table and stood in front of the computers. He had watched the finest computer technicians work miracles from these terminals.

He reached forwards and flipped open a small plastic case. Behind the case was a small red button. Far less impressive than anything else in this room, but it was terrifying in its importance. Chiron placed his finger on the button and...hesitated. Was he doing it again? Bringing war to the peaceful?

He remembered the threats levelled before his house had been destroyed. The threats against his family. Chiron pushed the button.

Throughout the room, lights began flickering on. Computers came silently to life as electricity began flowing through custom liquid-cooled manifolds. The monitors around the walls turned on and immediately tuned into the latest news. A wall of noise washed over him and Chiron couldn't help but smile. On the terminal in front of him there were three words written in white against the black screen.

"OVERWATCH RECALL ACTIVATED"


	2. Pulled Back In

The suburbs were a special kind of place. They were the kind of place where everything appeared normal and nothing was as it appeared to be. The polite, middle aged couple who liked to sit outside and play Scrabble at sunset would then head indoors and spend their nights engaging in hardcore BDSM. The rude, antisocial old man who would swear at people if they walked by his house, was also the man who volunteered at the children's hospital and told tales of the birds he rescued. It was these people and their neighbours who would look towards the house on the hill and whisper about the odd folk who lived there.

The house was a beautiful one. A two story brownstone that had no business being in a neighbourhood with white picket fences. There was a fine garden at the front and ivy clung to the eastern wall, cascading from all the guttering. It used to belong to a famous civil war general and his family, who had insisted on having a home made from the finest stone in the area. He wanted it on high ground so he could see the land all around him; the village to the front and the playing field behind. He also had it built with its back at the top of a small rock face. To avoid being surrounded. No expense had been spared. The window trim was stained oak and the door itself was painted jet black. Despite the fact that it had been built at the top of a small hill, it seemed like it had been the victim of bad attempt at camouflage. But the General did not care. He did not care about the rumours that people told of him.

Times had changed, the house was sold, bought and sold again and far from being able to look out over the land, Brownstone Hill as it was known as, was at the end of a perfectly normal street. And after more than two centuries of neglect, the field behind it had become a forest.

It was always a surprise to those who were new to the area. They would be travelling down the road, expecting to see another quaint household at the end but instead they would be greeted by a hillock and a home. It was always an area of conversation for those who didn't know about it.  
"Who built it?"  
"How old is it?" and invariably,  
"Who lives there?"  
And it was this last question that proved the most interesting. Because despite having bought the building almost five years ago, no one really knew anything about the young couple that lived there.

They had moved in without any introduction or fanfare. Not even the smallest moving van. On the morning of the 31st of October, a young man and woman walked down Olympian street. They wore functional clothing that was old but cared for and each carried a large pack on their back. Only a few of the residents saw them that day but they all agreed they were strange. 'They didn't move like normal folk', one woman said. 'They're dangerous', said another. They had walked past the other houses on the street and climbed straight up Brownstone Hill.

According to the keen eyes of the neighbourhood gossip Mrs Mallory, the young man had unlocked the door before turning and picking up his companion. He simply leaned down, wrapped his arms around her waist and straightened up. And like that he carried her over the threshold and no one saw them for several weeks. Five years later and only a small amount of information had filtered through to the neighbours about the mysterious inhabitants of The Brownstone. As was the way in suburbia, each new piece of information had a long and convoluted story attached to it to make the knowledge seem far more interesting than it actually was.

The young man had black hair and green eyes.  
The young woman had blond hair and grey eyes.  
They were both extremely attractive.  
They were both extremely dangerous.  
Her name was Annabeth Chase.  
His name was Percy Jackson.

And that was the sum total of five years worth of loving intrusiveness. As was obvious to all, and insulting to Mrs Mallory, they liked to keep to themselves. In fact, apart from excursions to the mailbox, no one could recall ever having seen them leave the house.

***

The alarm sounded at five in the morning. Their bedroom was still dark as the sun had just begun to appear from behind the horizon and there was a chill from the previous night. The annoying chirping was quickly silenced by Percy as he slammed his palm down onto the snooze and rolled over, shuffling closer to his wife. She groaned at the noise and pushed deeper into her husbands bare chest, hoping to fall back asleep. But once they were up, they were up. However that didn't stop them from trying. For eight valiant minutes, they did their absolute best to pretend to be sleep but then the alarm went off again and this time they both groaned.  
"Why do we never turn that off?" She mumbled against his skin.  
"Old habits Annabae" he replied sleepily, his head resting atop hers. Annabeth didn't reply, she just pinched him on his stomach. "Ow!" he gasped as the pain washed over him, "I wasn't ready!"  
"Good". Her harsh words were belied by her lips against his chest. "At least now you're properly awake".  
"I wasn't the one complaining".

Annabeth smiled and continued nuzzling against Percy's chest. The firm muscle was broken by the multitude of scars crisscrossing his skin. But she ignored those. Annabeth was used to them; on his body and on her own. The room was cold but his skin was hot to the touch. It always had been. On the coldest nights, he could keep her wonderfully warm. Which was, in fact, how they had started dating. She smiled even wider at the memory and kissed his chest. Slowly. Taking her time. She heard Percy sigh.  
"Is this your apology?"  
"Apology for what?" Annabeth inquired as she continued tasting his skin.  
"You pinched me".  
"Be grateful I didn't stab you".  
"Husbands shouldn't be grateful to their wives for not stabbing them. Not stabbing your spouse is considered normal behaviour". His words were annoyed but his fingers stroked up and down her bare back. She loved it when he did that. Annabeth pushed at his shoulder and Percy yielded, falling onto his back as she crawled atop him. She straddled his waist and rested her weight upon her hands, placed either side of his head. Percy looked up at his wife's face. He had memorised every one of her features. Her storm grey eyes that got darker or lighter depending on how she was feeling. Her blond hair that even then was falling down and dancing across his chest. The scar across the bridge of her nose from the mission that almost killed them both; he had a matching one.  
Just as he did every morning, Percy fell in love with her all over again.  
"Hi".  
Her lips came down on his.

An hour later they had made it out of bed and began their morning routine. After washing up and a breakfast of fruit and water, the two left their house via the backdoor and climbed down the small cliff to the forest below. It was a short climb, only fifty metres, but it warmed the muscles up quite nicely. The real exercise began when they reached the ground. What they did depended on the day but they always did something. At times they would chase each other through the forest. Training their speed, agility, reflexes and stamina. Other times they would try to sneak up on one another for their patience, skill, awareness and focus. Today however, was combat day; it was their favourite day.

From the bottom of the small cliff, they walked towards their training site. Soon after moving in, they had begun making trails that led through the forests to get to where they needed to go. Both agreed it was far easier than dealing with the neighbours. During their excavations, Annabeth had found a wonderfully large clearing and they eagerly turned it into their fighting pit.

They both began a series of stretches that kept them limber and injury-free. Annabeth finished first and waited impatiently for Percy to be ready. She really, really liked combat day. Finally he rose from his final stretch, touching his forehead to his shins, and put up his guard. She grinned and held up her hands as well, "Loser makes dinner".  
"Deal".

They moved towards each other slowly before Annabeth rushed forwards. Her right hand shot out with tremendous force at Percy's head. It was blocked at the last second by his left arm and his right foot snapped out in a feint before he pulled it back in and threw his own right jab. She dodged it effortlessly and resumed her own attack. A flurry of blows came at him. Each too fast to be stopped consciously, were blocked by reflex borne from years of training. He replied with a combination of knees and elbows that had her weaving in and out of the attack.

They broke apart, each breathing heavily after the intense combat.  
"All force, no technique" she teased him, smiling.  
"I don't recall you complaining about my force this morning" he countered with a wink. She laughed, a high and beautiful sound, before rushing at him. Attacking high and moving low. Annabeth landed a series of punches, before twisting away from his counter. He immediately attacked her and scored his own blows. Once again the separated and this time she glared at him.  
"You hit me!"  
"Be grateful I didn't stab you".  
"I hope you're warmed up. Because I'm done going easy on you".

They both continued like that for an hour. Attacking and defending, feinting and countering. They did this once a week and it kept them both in amazing shape and tremendously lethal. Even though they had left that part of their life behind, neither of them liked the thought of going soft.

Eventually they stopped when neither could draw breath. Annabeth begrudgingly admitted defeat but only because she preferred her knives. Percy consoled her by admitting that with she was deadlier with one blade than he was with two. She was smiling as they walked back to the cliff. A quick race to the top was followed by a shower each and a change of clothes. It was barely nine 'o' clock and they were both wondering how to spend the rest of the day. Just like every day.

They took a trail to the markets and wandered for an hour or two. Walking hand in hand past stalls in the streets. They didn't need or want anything except being under the sun with each other. Percy bought them both ice-cream from a nearby shop. Vanilla and chocolate swirl with nuts for him. Coffee and strawberry sauce with sprinkles for Annabeth. They both walked through a park and ate their treats as they watched other people move around. Percy draped his arm over her shoulder and finished his cone before turning them to head back. Annabeth was licking her fingers before they entered their forest.  
"You know, I had the oddest feeling that we were being tailed back there".  
She looked up at him for a moment before replying "me too".

After they closed their door behind them, they began booting up the security system. Camera monitors turned on along with motion detectors, pressure plates and IR sensors. Everything within five hundred feet of the house was suddenly being analysed by a piece of software that wasn't supposed to exist.  
"Any threats?" Annabeth called out. They were at opposite sides of the room and she was measuring audio levels and any chatter in the local area. She was also scanning the message boards for contracts on the two of them. Percy was parsing through the visual data in the immediate vicinity.  
"Mrs Mallory is getting spit roasted by her husband and the mail-man. But apart from that no, nothing. We're clear". Annabeth rolled her eyes at his comment but kept on searching for a few minutes more. It seemed that they were just being paranoid. But she kept the system running at full capacity. Normally they only focused on a much more immediate area but something still felt off to them both. And it wasn't just their neighbours proclivities.

Percy and Annabeth were still far too on edge to go back out so they stayed home, curled up on the couch together. He was leaning back against the arm rest while she was leaning against him. His fingers were curled in her hair. They were both as relaxed as they could be. Every now and then they would perk up at a sudden noise or an odd moment of quiet, but they would then relax and shift closer to each other. Annabeth had slipped her hand beneath his shirt and was resting her palm over his beating heart. She never tired of touching him.  
"In bed, I was thinking about when you asked me out ". She glanced up as she spoke and smiled when she saw him smiling.  
"You went to great lengths to get my attention", he laughed.  
"You know damn well the medic said I had hypothermia!"  
"I know. Which is why I'm very impressed. You almost died just so you could crawl into my bedroll". Annabeth stretched upwards and nipped his neck. Percy tilted his head, allowing her more room to it again. "I take it you don't regret it", he asked as she replaced her teeth with her lips.  
He could feel her head shake as she answered "No" and he relaxed a little. Even though he knew she loved him, it was always nice to hear that his wife still liked him.  
"We should do something today. But I really don't want to leave the house". Percy groaned at the thought of getting up off the couch and Annabeth silently agreed with the sentiment. "What is there to do?"  
"Well..." she spoke slowly as she thought of options, "we could play board games, watch a movie, play video games, have sex...". There was a moments pause before they both cried out.

"I CALL PLAYER ONE!"

The next three hours were spent on their PlayStation 4; first with WWE 2K17 and then with Call of Duty: Black Ops 3. Annabeth was player one.

This was how Annabeth and Percy normally spent their days. Neither had a regular job, when in need of money they would take out a simple contract. Their skills made them very valuable assets. Occasionally they would take a two-person job which would pay enough to last for months. So for the most part they were free to enjoy their lives. Every now and then one or both of them would take on a project, something to keep themselves active. Learn new skills and enjoy new hobbies. But at the end of the day they wanted nothing more than to spend time with each other.

"BOOM! HEADSHOT BITCH! THAT'S GAME!" Annabeth stood and raised her hands in victory. Percy tried in vain to re-spawn before the time ran out on the round but it didn't work. He slumped backwards in defeat and consoled himself by watching his wife's victory dance. He enjoyed watching Annabeth dance. She didn't do it often, but when she did it was well worth watching. Annabeth noticed her husbands gaze and smirked, adding a little extra to the movements of her hips before throwing herself down onto his lap.  
"And that is why you shouldn't bet me in video games. I'm looking forward to breakfast in bed tomorrow".  
"Don't be. An apple and a bottle of water in bed is the same as an apple and a bottle of water in the kitchen". Annabeth glared at him even as she pushed her fingers into his hair.  
"Fuck that, Jackson. I'm getting a full breakfast. And we're not training tomorrow either". Percy was about to protest when Annabeth placed her fingers over his mouth. "You know you're not going to win this so why bother?" Annabeth moved her hands back around his neck, freeing up his mouth.  
"I wouldn't be the man you loved if I didn't fight an impossible fight and then win it". Annabeth rolled her eyes and kissed her husband.

They moved into the kitchen and Percy sat on the counter while Annabeth organised everything for the meal she was going to make. Normally they ate simple fare, but when a bet was made, they went all out. She pulled out a couple of steaks that had been defrosting in the fridge, as well as potatoes, vegetables and a few other ingredients for a good meal. She set about making it while Percy looked around their kitchen, idly thinking about a redecoration project. Try as he might, he couldn't justify it. Their home was in perfect condition. The kitchen and lounge were entirely open plan with only a long counter top dividing the two. There was a bright white tile on the kitchen floor that went well with the black cupboard doors and counter tops. Annabeth had picked out the entire colour scheme but Percy had insisted on blue appliances. Which is why there was a dark blue microwave, toaster, kettle and can opener. She complained about them every time she used one but Percy knew she loved them as much as he did.

The lounge was soft where the kitchen was hard. Bright where the other was muted. There was a single couch and a single armchair surrounding a plush rug. The furniture was a dark forest green with the rug a soft brown. The entertainment centre was opposite the couch and the armchair faced the giant windows which looked out over their forest. It was a perfect corner to call their own.

His wife cleared her throat aggressively and was glaring at him when he turned around. His innocent smile didn't work.  
"If you think I'm making this alone then you can go screw yourself. Because I wont be". Percy cracked up laughing as he hopped off the counter.  
"And will you be helping me with breakfast tomorrow?"  
"Go screw yourself".  
"Well dear wife, I think we have a case of double standards". Percy walked over to wash the potatoes and trailed a hand across Annabeth's back on the way. They worked together with a routine that had been used a thousand times before. And in a surprisingly short amount of time they were sitting down on the rug to eat.

They knelt down facing each other and began to eat. A big of meal of steak with steamed vegetables, boiled potatoes with a mint butter and Yorkshire puddings. Percy grinned at his plate, then the cook before devouring the food. Annabeth laughed and began eating her own food, at a less fervent pace however. They spoke a little, commenting on the food or something from the day that had caught their eye. They wondered what to watch after eating and decided upon a Captain America marathon. By unspoken agreement, neither mentioned the feeling of being followed.

Both were prone to feelings of paranoia and had long ago decided that the best thing to do was to accept that times like this would happen and move forwards. Obsessing about it only made the problem bigger. They didn't need to discuss the cause; both knew what the source was.

When the food was finished and the dishes cleaned away, Percy sat with Annabeth on the couch and began watching the film. Percy was the Captain America fanboy. He would argue in favour of Steve Rodgers at any given opportunity. Annabeth favoured Iron Man. She appreciated his more scientific method as opposed to the intuitive ways of the Captain. After watching Civil War, there was no peace to be had for a week. But right now, they sat close together, and enjoyed the film.

"Even Howard Stark is ogling his body" laughed Annabeth.  
"Can you blame him? The man is a work of art!" She only laughed harder.  
"If you're planning on switching teams can I get a little heads up?"  
"Sure thing. But seriously you are the only person who isn't impressed with his physique". Annabeth smiled and pushed her hand up her husbands shirt before whispering in his ear.  
"Why would I want a model's body when I can have a man's?" Percy rolled his eyes at her seduction but the fingers he had resting on her hips found the bare skin between her t-shirt and shorts and stayed there.

The rest of the film passed with more jokes and comments, and when the first was over the second was started immediately. Annabeth watched, amused, as Percy twitched with every blow Captain America struck. She loved when he got completely engrossed in something that he began living it. Right now, he was the Captain and he was fighting on the ship. The fact that several years ago, they had been in the same position didn't hurt the realism.

Between scenes her eyes drifted out to look through the panoramic window. Constantly looking for a threat that wasn't there. With a silent sigh she burrowed closer to her personal furnace and resumed watching the film. Almost-silent sigh, she corrected as Percy's fingers entwined with and comfortably squeezed her own. With her husband beside her and easily the best film in Phase 2 playing, something she would never admit, relaxing and enjoying herself was a laughably simple matter. She sighed, this time contentedly and let the problems of the past stay there. No one was coming after them. There was no threat. There was no war.

***

The night passed comfortably, due to a peace treaty agreed upon before they watched the final film in the Captain America trilogy. It was almost midnight when the post credits scene was over. Yawning, and mildly arguing about the future of Cap in the MCU, they made their way up the stairs to their bedroom. Whilst Annabeth was getting ready for bed, Percy was activating the nighttime security protocols. IR on all cameras, temperature sensors scaled down and various other tweaks that made the system far more accurate than it would be otherwise. Annabeth took over and made sure the firewall was still secure and that nothing had effected the integrity of the software. They did this every night. And every night they made sure to do it as best as they could. But tonight, despite the fact that there was nothing out of the ordinary, she made sure that nothing was out of place. And when Percy returned, his breath cool and minty fresh upon her neck, she was certain that their defences were as secure as they could be.

It was almost pitch black that night. Dark clouds had blanketed the sky, blocking out the moon as if it wasn't there. A regular fault in the local grid had caused another power outage. There was a heavy smell of rain in the air; the storm that the local weathermen had been promising seemed to have finally arrived. With the darkness and the bad weather came the muffled sounds of boots. Fifty men moving up the streets with the stealth of elite Spec Ops soldiers. Weapons held ready as they swarmed past the residential homes. No one would have been able to see them, not even Mrs Mallory had she been awake. They headed towards their target and formed a secure perimeter before approaching the home from all available sides.

The moment the first boot touched the hill, orange lights began flashing inside the Brownstone. Percy and Annabeth woke up instantly.  
"Incoming!" Percy barked as he flung himself out of bed. Annabeth moved at the same instant and both ran into their walk-in closet opposite their bed. Clothing only took up a few drawers each. The rest of the space was devoted to weaponry and monitors. She rushed over and they automatically turned on.  
"We've got at least fifty tangos closing in on us", she reported. "But they've left the access to our forest unguarded".  
"That's their mistake then". She turned to find her husband already pulling on his combats. A small part of her lamented the fact that he was covering his naked body even as she began to do the same. Fighting nude is a terrible disadvantage. They both pulled on pants, socks and boots in that order. Bulletproof vests and full sleeve tops followed. Annabeth was the only one to wear a sports bra.

"They've reached the house" Percy said. She nodded to herself as she pulled on her armour. A pair of vambraces on her forearms, two knives upon her waist and a short sword on her back. She rolled her shoulders to settle the weapons. God how she had missed these blades. She strapped the obligatory handgun to her thigh and turned to her waiting husband. His armament was much simpler than hers. Just like her, he had a loaded SIG Sauer on his leg with two spare magazines. But apart from protective hand wrappings and basic body armour, that was it. Percy believed in a much leaner way of battle. He would take a rifle into war, but in close quarters such as these, he said his body was far more dangerous than any firearm. After the first time she had seen him in action, Annabeth had agreed.

"Tangos are preparing to breach" Percy said, eyeing the monitors. Annabeth watched the footage as she tied her hair back in the tightest ponytail she could manage. "They have found the door frame reinforcements, And they've come prepared. Someone thinks they know who they're dealing with". Annabeth rolled her eyes.  
"Seriously? You thought fifty black ops soldiers just wandered into our street and decided to take a stroll up a hill that happens to be ours?"  
"Why can't you let me have my delusions?"  
"I do. I let you think you're good in bed".  
"You're not that good of an actress", Percy quipped back at his wife. She smiled and they kissed just before the main door burst off it's hinges. "Shall we go fuck some people up?"  
"I thought you'd never ask".

 

Alpha team approached the door and examined it. It seemed perfectly ordinary but they knew it wouldn't be. Their orders had been to assume nothing is as it seems. The two they had been sent to take out were some of the finest soldiers alive. Shoot to kill. The team leader drew his dagger and dug the tip of the blade into the door-frame. It stopped instantly with the telltale sound of metal against metal. He withdrew his knife and stepped back, nodding as he did. Two of his team members took his place and began lining the door with thermite based explosive; it would burn through the reinforced frame in seconds.  
"Alpha team standing by".  
"Bravo team standing by".  
"Charlie team standing by".  
"Delta team standing by".  
"Echo team standing by".

Five teams of ten each, being sent to take out two individuals. He thought it was overkill, but then the words of his commanding officer came back to him, 'it's not your job to think!'

"Breaching in three...two...one...breach!"

The thermite flared bright white and burned for seven seconds. And in those seven seconds it ate away at the solid steel frame and the bolts between it and the door itself. The two soldiers at the front grabbed hold of the door so it wouldn't fall and eased it against the wall, their gloves protecting them from the heat. The last thing they needed was to alert the locals to what was about to happen. The team leader lead the way forwards, rifle held high as he passed through the doorway and into the house. He walked into a long hallway and scanned the immediate area. There were two doors on the left and a staircase with a third door on the right. A quick glance upwards told him the first floor landing overlooked the ground floor like a balcony.

His men moved forwards exactly as they were trained to do. Alpha team secured the ground floor while Bravo headed up the stairs. Charlie would head to the basement and Delta and Echo formed the perimeter. He opened the first door on the left and walked in, the barrel of his M4 Carbine preceding him. The room was empty of people but full of books. It was a library. High ceilings coupled with tall, full bookcases gave the impression of being utterly surrounded. From what he could tell, the subjects ranged from architecture to zoology. Upon a rug in the middle of the room were two Chaise reading chairs. A fireplace was set into the opposite wall. He turned on his heel and walked out. His men had cleared the rest of the floor as he had cleared the library. The doorway under the stairs led to a small storage room where they kept coats, shoes and various other outdoor supplies. He glimpsed at least one snow sledge and two tennis racquets. The final room was the most lived in. The first thing that caught his eye was the giant window overlooking the local forest. A TV set was facing furniture and there was a small but fully furnished kitchen to one side. He could smell the last meal they had eaten.

They were clearly not down here. The team leader moved out back into the hall and radioed in.  
"Ground floor clear. Bravo team check in". He waited for a few seconds but no response came. "Bravo team, do you read?" Still nothing. He took a step towards the base of the stairs and turned to look up at the landing. In the next second he collapsed under the weight of the body that had been tossed over the side. He barely managed a gasp as he crumpled to the floor, vision growing blurry despite the helmet. In the moments before he lost consciousness, he registered someone else falling onto him, landing on their feet and moving away before a second person ran halfway down the stairs before jumping over the handrail.

***

The soldiers attacking the Brownstone did not belong to any single nation or military. They were from all over the world. Former members of some of the most dangerous military organisations in existence. There were former British SAS and SBS, US Navy Seals, Paratroopers, Russian Alpha Group, Pakistani SSG, Israeli Sayeret Matkal and many more. Every single one of them had years of the most extreme military training and collectively the members of Bravo team had more than forty years of experience in every possible combat theatre. The fact that they lasted fifty seven seconds against Percy and Annabeth is a testament to their extraordinary skill.

Bravo team leader led the way upstairs. There were three doors; the master bedroom, guest bedroom and a bathroom. The bathroom was secured first before the bedrooms were breached at the same moment.  
"Three...two...one..." Both doors were kicked open simultaneously and they charged in. He led the way into the guest bedroom and after two men had followed him in, the door slammed shut again. By the time he had turned around, his man closest to the door was already dead and a shadowy blur was just killing the other soldier. The blur launched the freshly deceased corpse at him and he had to lower his weapon and step to the side to avoid getting tangled. Before he could take aim, the blur had gripped the barrel of the team leaders gun and forced it low before slamming a fist into his throat. The blur spun and kicked the back of his knee hard. The soldier crumpled to his knees. Still breathless from the punch, he didn't make a sound as his neck was snapped.

The entire exchange had taken Percy less than ten seconds. The other two soldiers were hammering on the bedroom door. "Captain! Open the door! Captain!" When Percy had kicked the door shut again, he had engaged the more secure locks. They could kick all day and they wouldn't get in. He grinned and waited for the moment he knew was coming. "Tango in the second room!". The moment they were distracted by the sounds of Annabeth fighting, Percy opened the door and surged outwards. He flew right into the two soldiers on the landing and destroyed them. He positioned himself between them so they had no room to fire without stepping back. Percy jabbed two fingers between the chest and shoulder of the soldier in front of him. The direct hit to the nerve cluster forced them to let go of their rifle. His foot flew out and snapped into the groin of the one behind him. Percy brought the same leg forwards and upwards; breaking the soldiers jaw and knocking them out. They were both on the floor and he killed them silently. Percy walked towards and peered into the master bedroom just in time to see his wife execute the final soldier. Judging by the position of bodies around her, he could tell what had happened.

All five had moved into the room and fanned out. Checking the master bathroom and walk-in closet. They made sure that no one was in the room before congregating in a loose circle at the foot of the bed.  
"Tangos aren't here. Fled?"  
"Not their MO. They fight".  
"Then where did they go?"

As if on cue, Annabeth who had been hanging from ceiling hooks, fell right into the centre of the circle. Two soldiers stumbled then fell back, as if surprised. But it was actually from the knives Annabeth had plunged into their necks on the way down. She landed in a neat crouch and kicked the legs out from one of the soldiers as the other two still alive trained their guns on her. Annabeth used the leg still beneath her to propel her forwards between the two soldiers. Once past them, she spun, rose and drew her sword in a single, perfect movement. The gunmen turned to follow her, not tangling their weapons as lesser soldiers might. Annabeth shifted as they rotated, making sure to stay behind one. She slashed downwards, her sword cutting deeply into the backs of the closest soldiers knees. They collapsed and Annabeth stabbed forwards, piercing the other one in their throat. She drew her blade back, using the movement to cut the throat of the one whose legs she had injured. Annabeth turned and walked over to the last one alive. He was just now scrambling to his feet, about to raise his weapon. With a perfect pirouette, Annabeth spun and used the momentum of her entire body to take his head off. It dropped to the floor with a dull thud and she straightened up to clean her sword.  
"God you're sexy when you do that".

Annabeth rolled her eyes and smirked over her shoulder as she resheathed her blade.  
"Most couples flirt over dinner, not dead bodies".  
"We are not most couples", he replied as he walked towards her. He pulled her knives from the first two bodies and handed them back to her. She nodded her thanks. "Well I'm warmed up. How about you?" Annabeth smiled and pressed a kiss to his cheek.  
"Is it weird I'm having fun?"  
"It would be weird if you weren't".

They headed out onto the landing and listened to the movement below. Annabeth was about to move down the stairs when Percy waved at her to wait. He hoisted a body on top of the landing rail and paused, grinning. Annabeth shook her head but didn't move. Percy listened hard before suddenly dropping the body. "I'll see you down there", he laughed before vaulting over the railing after the body. Annabeth moved a few steps lower before following his example and leaping over the bannister.

The couple landed moments apart, right in the middle of Alpha team. They all stopped in shock as their targets literally fell from the sky. Percy and Annabeth, however, weren't caught off guard and immediately flew into action. She drew her sword in one hand and a knife in the other before launching herself forwards, slashing and killing as she went. Annabeth used her blades to knock the guns aside, allowing her to slip between and then behind the soldiers. Two fell as she cut through their Achilles tendons and a third simply received a knife to the base of their skull.

As she went right, Percy went left. His tactic was the same as hers; point the guns at something other than himself or his wife. He rushed forwards and, crossing his arms, grabbed the first two gun barrels he came to. Percy pointed them up, stepped and turned around beneath them and then lowered them again. The rifles were now pointed just past each other. A quick jerk of his arm and both guns fired. The ones holding those guns died. In the moment it took for Alpha team to understand what was happening, they had already lost half of their strength.

They knew they were outmatched. As they raised their weapons, each knew that they would not survive this encounter. To their credit, no one ran. It was over quickly. Percy and Annabeth were incredibly skilled in combat but neither possessed that sadistic streak found in many soldiers. They would not draw out their enemies suffering, rather they would honour them with a quick death. But there was no time to pause; the gunshots had been heard by everyone. Charlie team had called in and found Alpha and Bravo teams non-responsive. They were on the way into the house while Delta and Echo tightened the perimeter. Or at least they thought they did. With a single shared look, Percy and Annabeth agreed on a course of action and began running. They headed into their lounge and towards the giant windows as Percy drew his gun.

The glass was obviously bullet proof, but they could be shattered by shooting three different spots on the frame in a particular order. A mechanism developed of Annabeth's own genius. The glass broke moments before they jumped through it and neither felt the few cuts they suffered from the flying shards. Percy reached the edge of the cliff first, thanks to his long legs, and covered his wife as Annabeth raced up and practically threw herself over the edge. He quickly joined her and by dropping from handhold to handhold, they both reached the forest floor in seconds. It was eerily quiet. Despite all the noise from their home, there should have been insects chirping as they lived their lives under the night sky. But there was nothing. It was then that Annabeth and Percy realised that the perimeter hadn't been incomplete, just disjointed.

"How many do you think are down here?" Percy enquired as he tilted his head to the side, trying to listen to the smallest of sounds.  
"At least twenty. Possibly more" Annabeth answered. She took the chance and checked her blades again for any damage. They took one last look around their forest before making eye contact with each other and grinning. Neither was breathing very hard. Each had privately worried that the other might be a little slow after so long out of the field. But their concerns were clearly unfounded. They fell back into this world as if they had never left.  
"I wonder if the soldiers thought they were safer in the middle of a forest than in our home?" Percy mused as he checked his gun and secured it back to his leg.  
"They probably did. I can't wait to see their faces when they realise how wrong they are". Percy smiled at Annabeth's words before his eyes flickered to his right. There was still no sign of the rising sun.  
"They're coming from the East".  
"You can hear them?"  
"They're not exactly quite". Annabeth listened for a moment before she heard the slight quiver of leaves that didn't coincide with the occasional gentle breeze that was blowing through the trees. She almost didn't hear it.  
"They are being very quiet. You have stupidly good hearing".  
"Don't be jealous now", he replied automatically. They both moved towards different trees and began climbing. Once they were hidden in the canopy, they stopped moving and began waiting.

It took several minutes before their enemy reached their position. They were either being extremely cautious or extremely reluctant. Percy watched as they made their way, step by step, until they were under his tree. He noted the captain immediately by the stripes on his uniform. He wanted to fall from the tree and destroy them all, but he knew Annabeth would get annoyed so he waited for his wife's dramatic entrance. He was glad he did.

Annabeth did not just fall from the tree, she leaped. To Percy it looked like a beautiful, avenging angel had descended from heaven to dispense her own brand of terrible justice. Or perhaps, he mused as he dropped from his perch onto the shoulder of the Captain, he was just in love.  
"FOXTROT TEAM IS UNDER ATTACK! GOLF TEAM RESPOND!" Percy snapped the Captain's neck and looked up in time to see a dagger fly across the impromptu battlefield and bury itself into the soldier screaming into their radio. Percy grinned as he jumped back to his feet and entered the fray proper. He spun and launched a single soldier directly across into his comrade who was about to attack Annabeth's blind spot. She spared him a wink as her knives carved their way through the ones who were unfortunate enough to try and kill her. But the ones who didn't attack her, attacked him. And they were just as unfortunate. It took barely moments for them to break the team. The last two ran yet they didn't get far. A bullet brought one down and a knife the other.

Annabeth scrambled for her daggers; Golf team was not as subtle. The dull thump of running feet on dirt ground and the accompanying shouts from the soldiers told them how close the next fight was. When she had, once again, retrieved her blades Annabeth and Percy sprinted deeper into the forest, gaining the flank on their enemy. As the soldiers ran past, the two at the rear of the team suddenly found themselves yanked into the side and divested of their lives quickly and cleanly. Husband and wife followed as silent as wraiths, running parallel to the slowly diminishing group. A third was grabbed by Percy around the throat and was lifted off of the ground by the sudden stop. A fourth saw Percy but was killed by Annabeth before he could raise the alarm and by the time they realised that they were being picked off one by one, only five were left alive.

"Close ranks!" came the order as the diminished group formed a circle, backs in guns out. Each was focused on the area in front of them, waiting for the attack. When Annabeth dropped into the centre of the circle, they had been taken down before any could turn and face her. She dropped to her knees and viciously slashed as she spiralled to the ground. They crumpled to the floor and were finished off by her husband.

For a moment, neither spoke. They didn't even look at each other. Ever since the beginning of this attack, each had understood the implications of what it meant. The harsh reality. They had been found out by someone who wanted them dead. They had to leave.  
"Where do we go now?" Percy asked as he examined the bodies around them. He moved from corpse to corpse, rifling through pockets looking for information.  
"Where can we go? Whoever came for us is going to keep coming at us until they get what they get us". Annabeth stayed on her feet, looking around. She cleaned her weapons and resheathed them securely.  
"We need to go after the person who sent these guys. We can't live in peace if they know where we are". Percy stood up empty handed. "And to do that we need information".  
"And for information we need a living soldier", Annabeth finished. She picked up a rifle from the ground and found a small clearing where she could see up the cliff. There were several figures moving up there trying to see anything on the ground. Annabeth dropped to a knee and shouldered the rifle, sighting along the length. She breathed deeply and pulled the trigger.

The bang of the gunshot was followed by a cry of pain from above. Annabeth had shot someone in the knee and they had fallen over the edge and straight through the trees. The thick branches slowed their fall and they hit the ground hard. Annabeth fired several more shots and scattered the rest of them. She stood up grinning at Percy who just rolled his eyes.  
"Don't expect me to pat you on the back, that was a fairly standard shot". Her grin didn't fade as they moved towards the groaning soldier still on the ground. Annabeth kicked him with her foot.  
"Who sent you!" She may have kicked him harder than necessary but it woke him up as he gripped his side in pain.  
"OW! Oh that hurts! What have you done to me?" He wasn't panicking which made things easier.  
"I shot you in the leg. Everything after that was because you were stupid enough to fall forwards. Now tell me who-".  
"I can't feel my legs! They're not moving! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME!" Annabeth looked at Percy and shook her head. Why did they always panic?  
Percy knelt down and covered the screaming mouth.  
"YOU came into our house. YOU shot at us. YOU started this fight. WE won it. Now I suggest you answer her questions before she holds your eyes open whilst I peel the flesh from your body". The soldiers eyes widened and he began to struggle to breathe, but without the leverage of his legs, he was unable to break free of Percy's grip.

At the last possible moment, Percy took his hand away and moved back, leaving the soldier gasping for air. Annabeth took his place and repeated the question.  
"I don't know who sent us! We were told to take you out. Former soldiers that need eliminating. That's it". He looked from Percy to Annabeth and back. Seeing if they believed him but the couple gave nothing away. "I swear that is it. There's the attack on you and the one in Long Island and a few-".  
"Stop! What did you say? What about Long Island?" Annabeth dropped to her knees and grabbed him by the collar of his uniform.  
"There's an operation going down over in Long Island. A single target who needed taking down". Annabeth looked up at Percy, fear in her eyes for the first time that night. He met her gaze for a second before shooting the soldier in the head.  
"We need to get to Long Island" Percy exclaimed. Annabeth nodded. They both began sprinting away from their home and towards the other end of their forest. It took less than five minutes but it was still too slow for them. They reached their destination; a natural cave that had been outfitted as a garage for their custom motorbikes. Percy got to the door first and punched in the access code. He hauled the door open and Annabeth shot past him, moving straight to the console and activating all the systems. Their bikes were completely revolutionary, designed by an old friend of theirs. A fully cybernetic interface but the engine was totally mechanical. He claimed it reduced the chance of anything going wrong, but his first prototype had exploded upon ignition.

They worked together in silence, both of them growing more and more uneasy as they thought of what was happening. When they were first attacked, both assumed that it was one of the many enemies that they had made across the globe. Whilst no single one of them was a serious threat, should they come together under a single banner they would easily be able to co-ordinate such an attack. That had been the best case scenario but it was becoming more and more obvious that this was one of the worst cases. By launching an attack on them and their former headquarters in a single night, meant that this was an extermination. Possibly revenge or maybe a pre-emptive strike.

"GPS says it'll take us about five and a half hours to get to Long Island, but we should be able to do it in under four". Annabeth had sat down at the computer and was programming the route into the bikes. Percy grunted in agreement and continued checking the integrity of their transport; they had seen no use in the recent years. She turned and looked at her husband, understanding his mood, "He's going to be OK Percy. We both have to believe that". Annabeth caught and held his gaze for several moments before he sighed. His shoulders relaxed and he nodded. She was right. They had to believe.  
"I just want to know who is behind this. Whoever came after us clearly knows a hell of a lot about us. And the fact that they knew so much and still had the nerve to attack us...". Annabeth rolled her eyes at her husbands casual arrogance but she admitted that he had a point. There were a lot of people who hated them and wanted revenge. But even if a few of the more charismatic and terrifying managed to rally the rest, they would not have held out as long as the soldiers at the house did.

"Everything is good to go" Percy said as he stood up, breaking into her thoughts. "We should head out now". They began suiting up. First the compression body suits to handle to increased velocity of the bikes, then the boots and finally the reinforced helmets. Percy's suit was deep blue and his bike was pure white. Annabeth on the other hand was in a dark grey suit and black helmet astride a red bike. He watched as she moved in her form fitting outfit and swung her leg over before settling down.  
"Not the time Percy".  
"It's always the time Annabeth" he countered, but he moved to sit on his own machine. They looked at each other for a heartbeat before reaching to start their machines.

"OVERWATCH RECALL ACTIVATED"

The robotic voice echoed through the garage and both of their heads whipped around to stare at the computer system that was now flashing a written message as well as speaking it aloud. There was nothing that could have prepared them for this. Despite everything that had happened tonight, neither had even contemplated this. They sat there frozen as the screen, indifferent to the tumultuous emotions running riot through them both, continued to display the recall. Eventually it was Annabeth who moved. Annabeth who had relished fighting a heavily armed squad with nothing but a small sword and a couple of knives, walked on trembling legs towards the console and opened up a communications line.  
"...Chiron?"

There was nothing but static and a sinking feeling made itself known in the pit of her stomach.

"Annabeth?" At the sound of his voice she gasped and lunged forwards, as if she could push through the computer to get to him.

"Chiron! What happened? Are you OK?" Percy rushed from his bike to stand behind her, his fingers gripping tight on her shoulders.  
"Annabeth! It is so good to hear your voice again! Things were a little touch and go earlier but everything is fine now". They both slumped in relief, all urgency forgotten.  
"It's good to hear you too Chiron. What's going on? We came under attack tonight and they knew what they were about".  
"Are you alright? Where is Percy? Is he injured" His voice changed from relaxed to alert in a heartbeat.  
"I'm fine Chiron", Percy said "I'm right here. Did you honestly think one of those guys could hurt me?" They heard a snort from over the speakers and both could imagine the old soldier shaking his head.  
"Something is going down. I'm sure you've figured out that this wasn't a random hit. There is something big about to happen and we needed to be dealt with beforehand".  
"We figured as much" Annabeth hunched closer to the mic. "They were all former Spec Ops. I identified a hell of a mix; no single country, this is a multinational operation".  
"Global. That's why I activated the recall protocol. There is a lot of skill and firepower and if we needed to be removed for this operation to be successful then it's big and bad. You need to make your way here". Annabeth and Percy looked at each other, happiness and worry mingling with each other upon their faces.  
"I think we remember the way. We'll see you in a few hours".  
"I'll keep the lights on". The line died and there was silence. Percy moved and sat on the desk, his leg touching Annabeth's.  
"Holy shit..."

They took the continued existence of Chiron as an opportunity to relax. They planned for a slower journey, giving them more of a chance at escaping the attention of the law. They repacked making sure they had everything of importance and checked over the bikes once more. They both knew that they were delaying setting off for the same reason. Eventually it was Percy who said it.  
"So we're back in this?" He turned from his bike to face Annabeth who was tweaking with the computer system.  
She responded with "Are we?" Percy stood up and walked around and sat down next to her.  
"I know we've both missed the action. But we got out for a reason, and our occasional jobs scratch the itch pretty well. Do we really want to jump back in?" He spoke softly, the voice of a husband discussing the future with his wife.  
"I feel the same way, you know I do, but I don't see how we have a choice. We didn't start this. They came for us and I don't think they'll believe us if we just say it's not our problem". Annabeth reached forwards and gripped his fingers. She always loved how warm he was. Even during nights in the tropics it was a comfort.  
"No I get that. They attacked us and they attacked Chiron. We're doing this job until it's done. I can't imagine how we'd live with ourselves if we walked away". Annabeth smiled. "But I mean after this, will we...were you happy here? In this life?" Percy stopped talking and waited, watching his wife.  
"Are you asking, whether or not I enjoyed spending time with my husband, watching movies, playing games cooking, shopping, sparring, fucking, dancing, holidaying?"  
"...Well when you put it like that it just sounds stupid".  
Annabeth laughed and kissed her husband, "you're an idiot, Jackson. And yes I do enjoy our life. After this we will come back here and, well first we'll have to redecorate thanks to those fuckers, but we will carry on doing exactly what we've been doing. Because I don't want anything else".

Ten minutes later they were roaring down the I95 as they raced each other.

They made good time. Both had agreed on not going back to the Brownstone. The gunshots would have woken the neighbours who would have called the police. The soldiers would be long gone before the cops arrived. Black Ops did not mix well with local law enforcement. They had left just before sunrise and had watched as the world got brighter and brighter. With the stretching road before them, both relaxed into the journey. Neither had ridden like this for a long while. They skirted around New York to avoid most of the traffic, and they were able to slip through what little they encountered. Eventually they were able to see the glimmer of the Atlantic Ocean in the distance. Percy especially had always loved the ocean. He had missed it everyday when they had lived in Washington.

He smirked at himself, already he was thinking about his life in Washington as over. A thing of the past. He shook his head slightly and increased his speed, riding past Annabeth.  
"Bastard" she muttered over their audio connection via their helmets. He lead the rest of the way into and through the city before they could both see the Long Island Sound. He found his way to the small, overgrown dirt road as easily as he had all those years ago. Percy slowly rode up the track as he scanned the immediate area. The complete destruction of Chiron's house was the first thing he saw.

Most of the building had been destroyed, only a few steel beams remained standing. The ruins were scattered outwards from a blatant explosion and the ground had been torn up from bullets, bombs and the boots of enemy soldiers. They both pulled to a stop and dismounted. After resting their helmets upon their bikes, they began exploring the ruins. Percy went one way, Annabeth the other.

"Remember when he said that everything was fine?" She called out as she inspected the remains of his once kitchen. The explosion had definitely been centred here, she deduced. The bomb had vaporised a chunk of the floor beneath it in an almost perfect circle, and the surrounding kitchen was practically obliterated. Black ash was all that was left of any all the doors and drawers. The dishes and windows had shattered from the explosion before being melted by the heat. They now formed little hard lumps of various sizes, scattered across the ground.

Annabeth moved forwards, into what had once been a small and comfortable lounge. She could remember how it had been before. Not just before the destruction but before they had been disbanded. There were many nights when they were all on base and would gather here. They would eat and drink. Relax and have fun. In their profession, every moment was precious and none more so than the ones spent in this room. Annabeth moved towards the remains of an armchair. She remembered it vividly. It had been red and green, comfy but with a nice hard back. She and Percy would sit on it together, rather Percy would sit on it and she would sit on him. But they would while away the nights laughing with their closest friends. People she hadn't seen in years. She dropped her hand to the chair and it crumbled beneath her touch. Annabeth stared at the dust a moment longer and then turned to walk out of the former building.

Whilst Annabeth had explored the interior, Percy had made his way around the outside. Noting tread patterns in the mud and the size of the shell casings that littered the ground. 'Must have been a hell of a firefight' he thought as he moved around the wreckage. The top of the house had detached from the rest of the building and collapsed on its side. Percy couldn't see how that could have happened from the bomb. He added additional missiles to the mental list he was compiling. He had almost circumnavigated the house when he spotted them. Close to the front of the house were a very distinctive set of boot prints. Distinctive in that it was only used by a single organisation in the world. One that, until a few hours ago, hadn't existed for years.

Percy filed the information away in his head and met Annabeth by their motorbikes. "We missed some serious action here". Annabeth nodded her agreement.  
"We had our own to deal with".  
"But our fun didn't have rockets".  
"Good". Percy grinned at his wife before they mounted up again. They left the helmets off as they were barely going fast enough to ruffle their hair. They passed the destroyed garden and parked up behind the shed. They walked into the small building, Percy holding the door open for Annabeth, and used the retinal scanner. It wouldn't let them pass unless both of them were verified. The shudder of the elevator was as familiar as everything else had been and despite their shared reticence at being back, they were both excited to be here again. The floor stopped moving and the doors opened on what was once the heart of their world.

It was almost exactly how they had last seen it. The table immediately before them gleamed under the soft white light from the roof. All the monitors were on and were automatically displaying information from the most sensitive areas around the world; the algorithm designed to filter the news was clearly still working. Their eyes shot from the information bank to the rear of the room where both had detected movement. Amongst the machines that Annabeth had helped install, was a figure who was talking with someone over the phone whilst dealing with a completely different matter on the screen. Annabeth motioned and the information bank went silent, allowing his voice to echo through the room.  
"-call it a pretty fucking clear message of violence! But if that's what you think sir then the next time I want to talk with you I'll send a goddamn missile at your house!"

He slammed the phone down and sighed before standing up to face Percy and Annabeth, a smile replacing the annoyed expression. Not one prone to displays of overwhelming emotion, everyone had gotten used to a wry grin or the flicker of an eyebrow being as expressive as he was willing to be. But as he saw Percy and Annabeth for the first time in years, Chiron's entire face changed. He smiled with pure joy; his eyes lit up and his entire face glowed. The lines of stress and worry melted vanished from his visage and his gaze darted from one to the other before he moved in and wrapped his arms around Annabeth.

Percy smiled as he watched the man who was like a second father to them both, embrace the one who had been like a daughter to him. There was no sign of it but Percy could tell by the subtle shaking in her shoulders that she was crying. Chiron looked towards Percy, his own eyes red, and pulled him into the hug. Percy held both of them in his arms and they stayed like that for almost a minute. These two had always been Chiron's favourites.

Eventually they pulled away from each other. Husband and wife on one side, surrogate father on the other. Small laughter broke the almost awkward silence. It was Percy who spoke first; fingers tight around Annabeth's.  
"Who were you threatening on the phone? The President?" Chiron grinned and shook his head.  
"No just the Secretary of Defence". The other two laughed at the fact that Chiron was being completely serious. They each pulled chairs away from nearby computer stations and sat down together. "Apparently his interpretation of a rocket fired at your house whilst you're still in it differs from mine rather drastically". He rolled his eyes at the incompetence of the government official as he leaned back in his chair.  
"Does he seriously think this was not an act of aggression?" Annabeth asked incredulously.  
"That's the problem", Chiron replied. "He knows exactly what it is but he is terrified of the implications of an attack on me. At first he tried to convince me it was a random coincidence but after I told him I saw L-". Chiron stopped talking immediately, eyes flickering between his two proteges before him.

He knew that he didn't want to say this more than once. Chiron had only just come to terms with it himself. The betrayal had been truly terrible.  
"I'll tell you all together. Not until then. You know I'm not one for dramatics", he added as Percy was about to interrupt. "There is a reason for me not telling you now". Dejected, Percy nodded and changed his question.  
"When do the others get here?" Percy looked towards the security monitors to see if anyone had arrived unnoticed.  
"I'm not sure everyone will come" Chiron confided. The other two looked at him in confusion, "Overwatch disbanded. We were ordered to never come together again and not everyone stays in one place long enough to receive a recall notification". He sighed and looked towards a picture on the wall. It was above the entry, almost invisible unless you knew it was there. Percy and Annabeth both turned and looked at it too. It had been taken only days before the attack. They were all there and they looked as happy as they could be. They both looked back at Chiron to see him almost glaring at the image. A hardness in his gaze that neither had seen before. Chiron noticed them and the look vanished, replaced by a weary smile.  
"We'll wait a day and see who answers the call. I have a feeling that this is going to turn out bigger than the a few random attacks from old enemies". Annabeth nodded and Percy followed suit. They had both individually come to the same conclusion. "Something is going on, and the success of it needed us dead".

Out of habit, the eyes of all three moved towards the newswall and for a few minutes they tried to tease a pattern from the stories popping up from around the globe, but to no avail. They all relaxed in their seats, leaning back against the soft cushioning and letting their heads drop back. Even for people who were accustomed to hard and strenuous days, this had been terribly exhausting. They remained silent, enjoying the presence of each other. The thoughts of global conspiracy and attempted murder were silenced by years of practice in calming their minds to allow them to rest.  
"I'm not bunking in the barracks".  
Percy's quip made the other two snort with laughter.

They eventually left the base and climbed into Chiron's jeep to head for some food. "Apart from emergency provisions the base is empty". Percy had been dismayed to learn that there was nothing which he could use to cook and they were forced back outside. Eventually they found a takeout place that looked less disgusting than the rest and they made away with food enough for six. Each were feeling the tiredness in their bodies but the hunger gnawing at their stomachs took precedence. As they were waiting for their food, each noise made them turn and reach for the weapons they were wearing beneath their clothes. They decided to retreat back with their food and only when they had parked under the protection of the base, did they relax.

They ate in silence, the recent attacks having put them on extreme edge. When the food was all finished, they looked at each other, worried. Annabeth opened her mouth to speak but Chiron raised his hand to cut her off.  
"Not yet. Talking right now will solve nothing. We will wait until the others get here". He stood and walked away, resting his hands on each of their shoulders for a half second.

Percy looked at his wife with an unusually dark expression, "If they're alive to get here". Annabeth could only nod as she stood up and held out her hand.  
"Come on. Bedtime".

She pulled her husband to his feet and they began to move towards the bunks in the facility. They didn't manage to take two steps before the sound of the elevator being activated. Both froze for the smallest of moments before hurrying to take cover, drawing weapons on the way. Chiron came hurtling through the doorway he had passed through only minutes earlier, but with a rifle pressed against his shoulder. He moved to the back of the room and hid in the shadows, covering the other two.

The seconds seemed to last hours as they waited for the doors to open. Finally they slowly started to move apart; the moment that a gap appeared a voice shouted out from within.  
"Stand down! It's only me!"  
No one put their weapons away but the familiar voice had earned a moments pause before bullets went flying. The doors opened fully and two empty, wide open hands were the first things that came out. Step by step, a pair of arms followed and finally the head and body of Frank Zhang.

He wore a serious expression and everyone who saw him knew that Hazel wasn't coming.  
"Chiron, Annabeth, Percy" he met the eyes of everyone in the room. "What exactly is going on?"


	3. Old Scars, New Wounds

The next two days were spent waiting to learn which of their friends were alive. After Frank had walked in they sat down and brought him up to speed on both attacks. Frank had taken it all in as a matter of course then went to sleep. None of the others had badgered him for his story; it was very late in the day and he would tell them when they needed to know. They all slept deeply and instantly, and despite the extreme activities of the previous day, they were all awake just before six in the morning cursing the habits of old soldiers.

Chiron went immediately to work, making phone calls and retapping old contacts. He had never enjoyed the political aspect of the job but being the head of Overwatch meant that the majority fell on him. At least until the Logistics Corp touched base. Whilst he was working, Frank, Annabeth and Percy were outside because remaining in the bunker tended to ratchet up the tension.

They picked through the wreckage of Chiron's old house as they shared stories about their lives. It had been five years since they had last seen each other and a lot can happen in that amount of time.  
"Me and Percy bought the place before everything went down", Annabeth explained. "We always meant to retire but we didn't expect it to happen that soon. We were there since the end of Overwatch until yesterday when seven squads of Spec Ops came to visit".

Frank listened intently as she spoke. They were all in the midst of the destruction, carefully stepping over shattered supports of the house. There was a mix of splintered wood and the reinforcements that Leo had installed. If not for him, Chiron had said, he'd be dead. Frank bent low and positioned himself underneath a beam that was coming out of the debris at an angle. Bracing it against his shoulder, he grunted and began to slowly stand up, lifting not only the beam but the piece of roof on top of it. Percy and Annabeth moved to assist and took one side of the roof each but their help wasn't really needed. Frank walked further towards the beam, causing it to rise higher and higher until it toppled over the other way taking the roof with it. He leaned forwards, hands on his knees as he breathed deeply, taking in as much oxygen as he could. After a few seconds he was back upright and sorting through the newly uncovered items, tossing aside the irreparable and keeping that which may be salvaged.

Percy joined him but Annabeth hung back watching them both. She had forgotten how strong Frank was. He was very tall and built as solidly as a tank. She had learned all about him when he had first joined Overwatch. His parents were Chinese who had moved to Canada before he had been born. His parents had both been military and Frank followed their footsteps when he was accepted into the Canadian armed forces. Frank could always make his teammates laugh by telling them how he used to be short and chubby as a teenager, and practically overnight he had shot up like a giraffe. Annabeth was chuckling to herself from just the memory of the story. Frank was a one of the calmest people she had ever met and she wouldn't have suspected that he even had a temper had she not seen him lose it.

She would never forget the sight of Frank picking up a fully grown enemy combatant and hurling him effortlessly across the room and into a wall. The crack that was his spine breaking was almost drowned out by the high-pitched crash as he picked up two more men and threw them out of a window from the thirty second floor. In his defence, she thought, they had been trying to kill his girlfriend.

Hazel was a tiny woman who moved like a queen, and everyone thought that she complimented Frank perfectly. But since she hadn't come with him and Frank hadn't mentioned her, neither Percy nor Annabeth herself was going to be the one to bring her up. She moved forwards slowly, by now completely lost in her own thoughts. There were so many who hadn't turned up. There was still time but with each passing second the tendrils of worry that had started deep in the pit of her stomach were making their way throughout her body.  
Hazel  
Leo  
Jason  
Piper

So many friends beyond her own team. Will, Clarisse, Travis and Connor, Serena, Thalia and so many more. And who the hell knew what Nico and Reyna were up to. She rolled her eyes at the thought of the two special operators. In a world of secrets and covers, those two reported only to Chiron...and only when they bothered to report to anyone.

Each one of them was a member of her family and now, after all this time, they were once again at war. She absent-mindedly crushed a glass under her boot. Percy recognised the expression on her face and whispered for Frank to stay clear of her.

They stayed out for most of the morning, doing their best to salvage anything from the rubble. Most of Chiron's possessions were destroyed but occasionally they would come across a clock or picture or a book that was somehow intact and they would put it aside. The weather was perfect for such work. The sun was bright and kept them warm but the cool wind coming off of the water prevented them from overheating as they toiled away. They could practically taste the salt in the air. Being bored and used to hard work, they began clearing the area of all the pieces that had been thrown outwards by the explosion. At least, they reasoned, they could have the garden in better condition than it was.

Chiron really loved his plants.

Eventually they had cleared the garden and surrounding areas of debris and dumped it all with the remains of the building. But most importantly they had burned off a lot of excess energy and were all feeling a lot calmer. Chiron was still absorbed in whatever work he was doing and he clearly didn't need any help, if the way he would speak quietly or stop talking completely whenever they were near was any indication. The three decided to go and get supplies for the bunker. It had been abandoned for so long that there was literally nothing useful. The barracks were filled with dust and the ventilation system had been unable to clean everything out. Annabeth and Percy ended up avoiding the beds entirely. The decision to sleep on the floor was made by the dust cloud that had exploded from the sheets after they dumped their bags down on their bed.

The three climbed into the biggest car and headed into the city. If they were going to be saving the world then they couldn't be worrying about running low on toilet paper. They decided to split up and save time. Frank hunted down household supplies while Percy and Annabeth decided to handle food. They parked up right in front of the Walmart entrance and went their separate ways.

It took almost two hours. Frank had a relatively simple time of it. Several large packs of toiletries, a few bags of linens and an industrial sized container of disposable plates and utensils and he was done. After stashing his purchases in the jeep, he went back in to find the other two. As he roamed the gigantic aisles searching for them, Frank began to feel like he was being followed. He immediately began employing counter-surveillance tactics that were as ingrained in him as breathing. Frank normally acted as if he was being tailed, but when he actually thought so he began to really try.

He began doubling back along his path and taking corners really wide, allowing him to see if any faces seemed too familiar. As he walked past a family of five, one of them wearing a blue jacket detached with a laugh, "Ok, I'll go check for Fruit Loops". Frank turned the corner and spun to crouch behind a gigantic stack of cereal boxes. A few seconds later a guy in a red shirt and hat walked round and Frank exploded into action. He grabbed the man by the neck and dragged him down and locked his arm behind his back. "OW! Gerof!" His words were garbled by the hands around his throat.

Frank kneed his opponent in the stomach and then tried to force the stranger to the floor. A sudden strength coursed through his targets body and any doubts that this man was innocent evaporated. There weren't many who could resist Frank. His head snapped back into Franks and caught his lip before he spun rapidly, breaking Franks grip. Frank ignored the pain and surged forwards to tackle this man to the floor but stopped as suddenly as he had attacked.  
"Jason?"

***

Percy and Annabeth roamed from aisle to aisle grabbing everything that they could conceivably need. When they had four shopping carts in tow, they attracted the attention of the attendants who worked there.  
"Hi there. Can we help you?" She looked bemused as she took in the train of heavily laden carts that they were dragging around. Annabeth took in the young woman at a glance and smiled slowly.  
"Hi Carol", Annabeth dragged her eyes up and down Carol's body and caused her face to turn bright red and smile shyly. "I was wondering if you could help us. I know it's not store policy but we're shopping for a summer camp and we need some serious supplies. Would you be able to send a couple of guys to shuffle our carts back and forth? I'd be so grateful".

Percy watched, grinning, as his wife charmed the young woman into giving them three personal shoppers before rushing off with her hands over her face. Annabeth turned and winked at Percy, "Still got it".  
"That was evil". He tried to speak sternly but the laugh gave it away. He handed the two carts of his over to a couple of teenagers and moved to stand next to Annabeth as they took them away. "You manipulated that poor girl".  
"That's what we do Percy. We get the job done". She looked up at him and gripped his fingers tight. "By any means necessary". Percy met her gaze and eventually nodded. "And this way she'll have some very pleasant dreams about me", Annabeth winked at him with a wicked grin.  
"Along with the thoughts in the shower, don't forget those" he added, rolling his eyes. She laughed her perfect laugh and he couldn't help but kiss her.

They kept on shopping around, piling high everything they could think of. By the end of it they had a total of eight carts full of food and Carol greeted Annabeth at the till and conscripted all the bag boys she could and rang them up herself. Percy was quite proud of her as she tried so hard to flirt with his wife. He knew from experience that Annabeth didn't make it easy, but Carol did her best and Annabeth threw her a bone and flirted back. Soon everything was being carried to the car and Carol, mustering all of the courage at her disposal, asked Annabeth for her number.  
"Oh Carol, I'd love to but my husband is kind of a prude. He wouldn't like it" Carol blanched at the word husband but the little smile on Percy's face seemed to relax her a little.  
"Oh no, I'm trying to be more open minded" Percy interrupted. "If you want to give her your number then please do it". Annabeth looked over her shoulder and stared bloody murder at her husband.  
"Thanks for the support babe, but I think it's best this way", she turned back to Carol. "Thank you for all your help today. It was so sweet of you", and in a quick move, Annabeth leaned forwards and kissed Carol on the cheek before grabbing her husband by the arm and walking out of the store.

When they were out the doors she dug her fingers into his forearm with terrible force. The only thing he could do was laugh.  
"You bastard! What was that? You sold me down the fucking river!" Annabeth hissed at him as they walked towards their jeep.  
"Stop being dramatic. It was hardly a river. You're attractive but judging by pupil dilation I'd say she was barely damp, let alone a river. Get your ego in check". Annabeth had no response to that so proceeded to smack him over the head whilst he began laughing again. And when Percy started laughing, Annabeth would usually join in. So when they reached the car, Annabeth was still hitting him but they were both laughing. That was how Frank saw them, as he stood outside of the car.  
"Hey guys, look who I found". The laughter stopped abruptly as they saw who was standing, half hidden, behind Frank.  
"Been a while. Good to see you Annabeth. Jackson".  
"Jason?" Annabeth's eyes widened in shock before she turned to face her husband, half expecting to have to hold him back. But she needn't have bothered. He had gone entirely rigid, his jaw clenched so tight that the muscles in his face were twitching. There was nothing but anger in his eyes as he stared down at his once best friend.

It took a few seconds but eventually he managed to spit out a single word.  
"Grace".

***

The drive back was fraught with tension. Percy's angered grip on the steering wheel had turned his knuckles white and Annabeth's hand on his thigh could feel the tension in his muscles. Every now and then she would firmly squeeze his leg to remind him to try and stay calm. The mood in the back wasn't any better. Frank was trying to subtly look between Percy and Jason and not get caught. He was failing miserably. Jason was no better than Percy. There was a permanent snarl on his face and as hard as he tried to look away, his eyes kept returning to glare at the side of Percy's head. It was made all the more awkward by the many paper bags that filled the car.

Eventually they made it back to the base and as soon as they parked the car, Jason jumped out of the car and stretched his neck whilst rolling his shoulders; trying to keep control of his temper. Frank exited the car next and began to pull bags out.  
"Do you need any he-".  
"No". Percy had finally climbed out from behind the wheel and was staring at Jason with undisguised loathing. A look which Jason was more than happy to return. It was Annabeth who spoke next. She stood next to her husband and gripped his fingers tight.  
"You should go check in with Chiron. He'll want to hear from you". Annabeth was giving him a way out and Jason recognised this. He nodded his thanks and headed towards the command centre, knowing he would be able to find the old soldier at the heart of everything. Jason headed down the hallway that lead from the concealed parking to the rest of the base and Percy watched him until he was out of sight. Eventually he released the breath he was holding and began moving again. Annabeth stepped right against him and pushed her fingers into his hair, dragging his head down to look her in the eyes. Neither of them said a word but Frank could tell they were communicating fiercely. He turned and faced the other direction to allow them some privacy.

It was times like this that he missed Hazel. Frank raised his hand and touched his dog tags through his shirt. Hazel had these ones made for him specially; he never took them off. I'll find you soon, he thought. Movement behind him ripped him from his own mind and he turned and began helping Annabeth and Percy carry the bags in.

The elevator from the garden shed opened directly into the command centre that was the heart of the bunker. However the bunker itself was much more extensive than it seemed. There were the sleeping quarters, a mess hall, infirmary, armoury and store rooms which used to hold anything from bed sheets to tins of food. Connected by a long passageway was the concealed parking area. It used to hold several motorcycles, cars and one or two all-terrain vehicles. Now there was just the single solitary jeep and the two bikes that Percy and Annabeth had rode in on. As they carried bag after bag down towards the stores, they couldn't help but remember the latest version of the Overwatch headquarters. A glorious beacon of hope and justice, until it was all brought down. Frank sighed, it was a bittersweet memory. Some of the best work he had ever done had been under the Overwatch banner.

Before they started, the store room was completely empty. Afterwards it was completely full, with every shelf packed and every cupboard stocked. Frank had decided to stay in the room and unpack each bag whilst Annabeth and Percy played the mules and carried the bags from the car to the stores. It took them almost an hour to empty all the bags and organise the room so that everything was in its proper place. It was still a military base after all.  
"I don't think that we will run out of food for a while" Frank said, looking around the room with a sense of satisfaction.  
"Depends on how many more people turn up today". Frank's expression changed subtly as he turned towards Percy. He could see in Percy's eyes that they were both thinking the same thing. Neither thought anyone else was going to show up, but sometimes hope was more powerful than truth.

"Shall we go see what Jason and Chiron have gotten up to?" The moment Frank said his name, Percy clenched his fists and the tendons in his neck stood out in stark relief. "Ok man what the hell happened with you two? Did he kill your dog?"  
"Don't be absurd Frank", Annabeth chimed in. "Percy is more of a cat person". The two shared a laugh and as she had hoped, Percy relaxed and cracked a smile.  
"You know damn well I like them both" he said. The lightened atmosphere lasted as they walked towards the command centre, chatting amicably about cats, dogs and various other pets. They walked in and saw Chiron and Jason talking quietly at the table. Chiron nodded and sat back as the three walked in.  
"I think it's time we started. I don't think anyone else is going to turn up". The others nodded and took their seats at the table. Chiron had already taken position at the head of the table. Jason was at his left and Frank next to him. Annabeth sat at Chiron's right hand with Percy next to her. There was an uncomfortable silence. Chiron sighed at the obvious way that Percy and Jason were studiously avoiding each others gaze.

"Ok we all know why we're here. Two days ago there was an attack on my home. A well equipped strikeforce tried to take me out in the middle of the night. Now I know this is not a coincidence because at the same time Percy and Annabeth came under attack at their home". Chiron gestured with a wave of his hand at the couple to explain their part of the story. Annabeth glanced at her husband and rolled her eyes at his silence.

"So that same day, Percy and I had the feeling we were being followed but nothing came of it. That night, seven squads converged on our place. They knew exactly who they had come for and they had brought, what they had thought was, enough men". She paused and looked at the three who hadn't been there. "We killed a couple squads in the house then two more in the forest just below our place. We made one of the guys talk and he confessed to there being a few attacks, one being here. Just as we were about to leave we got the Recall Activation". She fell silent as the others digested the tale. It was Frank who broke the silence.

"I didn't get any unwelcome attention but that is probably because I haven't been home in a while. Hazel vanished a couple weeks ago". Everyone became hyperattentive. "No signs of foul play. We went to bed one night and the next morning she had gone. She left a note". Frank dug into his pocket and pulled out a piece of A4 paper. It looked as if it had been folded, unfolded and refolded many times. He tossed it on the table and Chiron picked it up. Opening it he laid it back down so that all could read it.

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY. BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES.

They all looked towards Frank. "It seems pretty obvious. She had been spending far more time online in the days before. I assumed it was work and she didn't say otherwise but I think she caught the leading edge of something big and she's gone to get confirmation. I've been trying to track her down but obviously I haven't found anything. I headed to one of my outposts to resupply when I saw the Recall. At that point I came here. I figured that Hazel vanishing to chase a storm and Overwatch being recalled within weeks of each could not be a coincidence. Whatever is going on here will lead to Hazel".

Percy cleared his throat, "what worries me is that she hasn't made contact. The fact that Hazel of all people doesn't think she can communicate securely is more than a little odd. The woman who hacked the Pentagon, NSA, GCHQ and SVR before her eighteenth birthday believes that someone is watching her and that they're good enough to keep up with her". Frank nodded as he spoke.

"I was thinking the same thing man. It's not like her to be paranoid. Whatever she's seen has spooked her and she's gone looking for answers. We just have to make sure we're in a position to use those answers when she returns. But there's one story that we still need to know, Jason". All eyes except Percy's focussed on the blond sniper sitting at the table. He nodded and leaned forward a little, resting his hands in front of him on the table.

"I did get visited by some people. They had been scouting out my place for a day and made their move when I went out that night. I run at night through the park near my place. They tried ambushing me in the park, but they didn't last very long". He paused as if remembering the attack.  
"And was there..." Annabeth trailed off.  
"I live alone", Jason replied curtly. "I haven't seen anyone from the Watch since it went up in flames. After the attack I went back and cleared my place out. I didn't see the recall".  
"Then why head here?" Frank asked.  
"Because after five years of wet work, the day I get attacked is the day that a seemingly random house in Long Island blows up. Even I can make the connection there".  
"You've been doing wet work Grace? Really?" There was no hiding the judgement in Annabeth's voice nor did she try to.  
"Well we didn't all pair up and settle down Annabeth", if his voice had been curt before then it was now just cold. Jason glared at Percy however, not Annabeth as he said this. The conversation stalled to a halt as Frank and Chiron watched as the other three stared each other down.

"Enough!" Chiron's order cut through the tension after a moment or two and they all backed down. "We're here for a specific purpose. To find out what is about to happen and how Overwatch is involved. Anything else takes a backseat". He forced eye-contact with each of them and waited until they nodded their heads. "Good. Now based on the synchronicity of the attacks as well as the artillery and manpower they brought to bear, we know that they have the resources to do a lot of damage. Couple that with intimate knowledge of Overwatch personnel and tactics and we're looking at a hell of an enemy".  
"A knowledge of where we were living does not count as intimate knowledge", Percy interjected as he watched Chiron. The change in his commanders face was immediate and obvious. "What are you not saying Chiron?"  
He didn't say anything for a few moments, but each of his former soldiers could see the heavy tension upon his face.  
"The team that came for me was led by Luke".

The silence that followed his proclamation was deafening. No one tried to deny it. There were no outbursts claiming he was mistaken. There was simply shock and betrayal. Every single one of them was rapidly assimilating this new information into what they thought they knew. Chiron kept an eye on Percy and Annabeth especially. Each had their own personal relationship with Luke and had been distraught when they believed he had died in the fall.

Frank cleared his throat, "just so we're on the same page, Luke didn't die defending Overwatch, rather he was the one who betrayed us". Annabeth's face had gone pale and she reached blindly for Percy; he caught her flailing hand eventually and held it tight.  
"He killed our own people and then faked his death so we would mourn and honour him!" Jason's voice was hard. Angry. He had not been that close to Luke but he would have died for a fellow Watcher.  
"He tried to kill us..." Annabeth whispered.  
"He wanted to kill us" Percy added.

Loyalty had always been at the heart of what they did. Loyalty to the cause. Loyalty to each other. Loyalty to Overwatch. Luke's actions, as one of the first members, tore at the foundation of everything they had thought they were. Percy ran his fingers through his hair and moved forwards, practically hunching over on the table.  
"Ok so our enemy is Luke and-"  
"No I-".  
"Yes!" Percy locked eyes with Chiron and dared him to disagree. "Luke is our enemy. He may not be the man at the top but he is a target to be eliminated". After a moments pause, Chiron acquiesced.  
"Yes he needs to be dealt with, but I don't believe him to be anything but one of many senior officers in whatever organisation we're up against. He provided the information that Overwatch would be a threat to whatever plans they have, so they tried to take us out".

Each of the four soldiers sitting in front of Chiron was going through the same dilemma. And each of them resolved it at the same time. He could see it in the set of their shoulder and the angle of their jaws. They were ready to take the weight of the world on their shoulders again. They had missed it.

"Information. That is our first goal. We know nothing about our enemy apart from the fact that they exist, whereas thanks to Luke they know everything and more about us". Chiron broke down the situation as he used to do. Working from best case scenarios and hypothetical situations. "First thing we need to do is get the team back together. We cannot do this as a rag tag group of misfits. They were afraid of Overwatch. So we need to be Overwatch".

There were four pairs of eyes looking back at him, ready to do whatever he asked.  
"Frank go find Hazel". A simple nod. "Jason go get Piper". The smallest hesitation before he too nodded. "Percy, Annabeth, you two find Leo. Apprise them of the situation if they don't already know and bring them back here. Eyes and ears open".  
"Nico and Reyna?" Annabeth's first words since learning of Luke. Her voice was quiet but determined.  
"Don't worry about those two" he said with a small smile. "They returned to my service minutes after the Recall".

There was no surprise there. While the others had operated in moral shades of grey, those two had a very black and white way. If it needed to be done then they would see it done. They recognised no jurisdiction but their own. Terrifyingly capable and devastatingly efficient, Nico and Reyna were forces of nature. They were also the best of friends.

"So we get the band back together. Then what?" Percy had relaxed somewhat. His fingers were no longer digging into his wife's hand but rather stroking comfortingly back and forth across her leg. He could tell by the tremors running through her body that she was struggling with what she had learned of her first and last commander. Tonight she would need to vent and rail at her husband and he would take it, he thought. Because that was his job.

"Then we get information. Tap all your contacts, all of you. Anyone you can think of that may know anything about what the fuck is going on".  
"Arms dealers", Frank said. "Who has been buying up all the guns and bullets".  
"Mercenaries", Jason added. "They're either being paid to fight or paid to stay out of the way".  
"Exactly. I'm glad to see you haven't gone rusty after all those years in the cold" Chiron half joked.  
"Well I re-enlisted, Jason was a hitman and God knows what those two have been up to" Frank listed as he gestured towards Annabeth and Percy. "The only one who's been out in the cold Chiron, is you".

The old soldier grinned at Frank before standing up. He walked to the side and picked up a laptop off of a small desk and brought it back. Seconds after turning it on, monitors embedded on the large table came to life, mirroring what Chiron was looking at.  
"I will say straight off, that I have no idea where Hazel is". Chiron said as he brought up a map of the world. Scattered across the globe were many glowing red dots. Mostly only one in a single place but there were a few occasions of two dots occupying the same space. The highest concentration, however, was found over Long Island. Five pulsating dots were clustered, one overlapping the other.

"You tagged us?" Annabeth asked, leaning forwards to study the map.  
"I did. That was one of the stipulations when Overwatch became a proper agency. Each of us was far too skilled. Putting us together under one banner terrified every government on Earth. They wanted to be able to track our movements and to know whether we were gathering someplace we shouldn't". They all watched the map intently, trying to see which one of their friends were still alive and where their loved ones had gone.  
"And how has Luke avoided being caught by this? I'm assuming it can tell you which dot belongs to which Watcher?" Jason asked, turning to face Chiron as he did.  
"It can. Each person was given a distinct frequency so that we could find them anywhere. I can only assume Luke removed his. Ethan too".  
"Ethan? Nakamura?" Percy's eyes flickered slightly. "He was there when you were attacked?"  
"Yes he was. He seemed to be Luke's lieutenant. There are a lot of our former colleagues who have vanished since we fell-".  
"Betrayed. Since we were betrayed" corrected Percy.  
"Yes, since we were betrayed. It can't tell the difference between a removed tag or a dead body, so there are a lot of old friends that we might run across in this fight. We have to be ready to kill those we once would have died for".

His statement caused all of them to picture it. Killing their former brothers and sisters. It was an abhorrent act to all of them, which is why they never saw the treachery coming. It would never happen again though. This time, they all swore, it would be different.

"From this, Jason, I can tell you that Piper is in Moscow". Jason's face remained impassive. "You need to find and extract her from whatever she is doing. We need her". The blond nodded and sat back, trying to come up with a strategy that would keep him alive when he met her again.

"Hazel has gone dark" Chiron continued. "But from purchases she made several days, she seemed to be heading towards Louisiana. Start there and do what you do best". Frank didn't even bother to nod, he was just completely focused on the state of Louisiana as if he could see Hazel through the map if he stared hard enough.

"Percy, Annabeth, you two will find Leo. He is currently in Mexico. I'll send exact co-ordinates to you. Be careful. A lot of people knew that one of our major advantages was Leo's hardware. After the fall, everyone expected him to join a top engineering firm or start his own. Instead he vanished into anonymity". The husband and wife accepted what he was saying and began planning contingencies for anything that would go wrong.

"What boundaries are we working within?" Jason asked. Everyone instantly knew what he meant. Chiron hesitated.  
"We don't exist. We have no authority in the world. We are not recognised in any way by any government. If you get caught then you have no governing body willing to go to bat for you. Does that answer your question?" It did. Jason had become more and more blase towards all laws of men and God. In the years since he had watched his friends die and his people fall, Jason had found himself not caring about what had once been so important to him. Things like setting a good example, behaving nobly and honourably, had fallen by the wayside as he took assignment after assignment in an attempt to forget what he had lost.

But now things were changing. Things long dead were beginning to stir within him. Overwatch was rising from the ashes. It was young, and weak, but in this room was the hope that one day it would be what it once was. Better even. Pure, just, incorruptible. In reality as well as in theory. Something he had wanted for years was about to happen, and he'd be damned if he did anything to ruin it. It was time to be the man he once was. If he could be. Doing so was going to be easier said than done.

"Transport?" Chiron snorted at the inquiry.  
"You're in basic seats on whatever passports you can find. There's an untraceable phone right there, be nice to the person on the other end".  
"I guess the days of helicopters, HELO's and stealth infiltration are over", Jason quipped as he stood up from the table. "Anything else we need to know?" Chiron shook his head. "In that case I'm going to get ready". With a final nod towards them all, Jason turned around and walked away.

He headed towards his bunk and sat down upon it. After they had ended things Jason had never once tried to find Piper and she had not contacted him. He had thought about her every day and never once tried to reach out. She had made her feelings perfectly clear so he didn't really see the point. She didn't need him anymore, that much was obvious. And because of that he could be professional. The world was in danger and Overwatch was rising from the underworld. He could be perfectly polite and do his job. At least, that was what he told himself.

Jason began sorting his pack out for everything he would need for Russia. Thankfully he spoke several languages, Russian included, which made it a lot easier. He emptied his bag and filled it with thick, heavy clothing. His money would be on his person and weaponry would have to be acquired there. It was far too risky to smuggle weapons into Russia from America. If he got caught he would never see the light of day again. Besides he had a contact in Russia who would happily supply him as he left the airport. Jason used his phone to book a ticket to Moscow and sent his weapons dealer the details. He would be standing outside the airport with a black briefcase containing a marksman rifle, a sidearm and spare ammunition. And just like that everything was taken care of. He had seven hours to kill before his flight so he sat back on his bunk, pulled out his headphones and tuned out the world.

***

Frank watched his friend walk away before turning back to the table. They were silent as well. Had too much time gone by for them to be as they were? Yesterday, whilst they sorted through the rubble, it had seemed like old times. The joking, the easiness had been there. But with Jason...something had happened between Percy and Jason. Frank suspected it was only Annabeth's presence that had stopped them from physically fighting. Then there were...other things. Matters that might divide them. Frank knew if that happened then they were as good as dead. He just wished he could see a way to prevent it.

"So I'm finding Hazel. Well I've been trying to since she vanished but Louisiana is a new lead. There are a few places there that she may have gone to. I didn't focus on them before as they are fairly tenuous but they've just become my strongest leads".  
"I'm sure you'll find her Frank". Percy's confidence in him was greatly appreciated and he let him know that. "You're welcome man. Keep your head down".  
"And stay in contact", Annabeth added. "Let us know anything you learn".  
"Yes, please do". Chiron looked at them all before continuing, "we need as much information as possible in order to have any chance of making any sort of a difference. I have a feeling that we are the last, and probably only, line of defence". Frank nodded slowly, shouldering the weight. First things first though.

"I'm going to head out as soon as I resupply. Do you need anything before I go?" No one did so they wished him luck as he left. Frank went directly to his rooms and picked up his bag. He never truly unpacked anywhere because he knew he would be leaving soon. There had only ever been three exceptions to that rule. Frank's next stop was the stores. He refreshed his stock of emergency provisions and medical supplies before walking to the garage. The car Frank had used was parked in a random lot in the middle of nowhere. He had walked the rest of the way in order to find and lose any tails. He didn't want to bring any trouble down on an unsuspecting Overwatch. So he shouldered his bag and headed out to the surface before beginning the long walk to his car. If it was still there.

***  
Finally it was just Percy, Annabeth and Chiron. They sat together, in companionable silence. Each was lost in their own thoughts but at the same time they were aware of each other. When they were together, Annabeth and Percy never felt alone. Together they were whole. But there had been times when they felt as if something was missing. Her husband had once described it as "we are one pizza. But there should be more pizza's here too" She had laughed to stop herself from crying and they had held each other close for the rest of the day.

She stirred from her thoughts and asked the question she had been pondering for a while. Annabeth had already come to her own conclusions but she respected the thoughts of the two men sitting with her.  
"Worst case scenario?" She addressed the question to the room and waited to see who answered first. Her husband didn't disappoint.  
"Global conquest". When no one interrupted or mocked him he continued. "They have an abundance of resources, the knowledge to use them effectively and a plan they know we would interfere with. They also have the skill to acquire these things and not leave a trail for one of us to come across. That alone makes them dangerous. I'm not saying it's likely but if we assume they are at least as good as us then it is definitely possible".  
Annabeth agreed with his reasoning as she had used a similar one herself. She looked to Chiron, awaiting his input. "They do seem capable of causing a terrible amount of damage. We have seen first hand the ruthlessness their soldiers are capable of. I do not believe they balk at collateral damage. The worst case is definitely as you two see it. But I fear that the best case is not that different. It is very important that we learn as much about them as possible".

The other two agreed completely. "Why send us after Leo?" Annabeth asked. "He and Jason were always close and we might have more luck with Piper".  
"Agreed but those two need to work out their issues if they are to be truly useful. I am forcing the matter and relying on their professionalism to keep things from getting out of hand". Percy snorted; he had his own idea's about Jason's professionalism and they were not complementary. The other two ignored him. "Besides I meant what I said about people being after Leo. He was one of our aces. And Luke said something about going after him. He needs a team of two". Annabeth had, once again, gone rigid at the sound of his name.

"Are you sure Chiron? I don't mean to doubt you it's just...are you sure?" Annabeth was in pain, they could hear it in her voice. She had thought that hearing about Luke's death in the hours after the fall had been terrible. Even if she had grown out of her feelings for him, he was still a vital part of her life. She remembered weeping as she clutched onto Percy. Afraid that the grief would sweep her away as well. Unconsciously she reached over to touch her husband; any contact would do.

She had lost a lot of friends that day. Far too many to think about. But Luke...it took years with her husband to help her be able to remember him without crying. To remember the man who had been an older brother to her. She had thought herself past all that but once again the anguish was present in every word she spoke. This was worse, she realised. Before she had believed that he had died a hero. Defending them all from the enemy. But now she was being told that he had not died, but he betrayed them. Luke had abandoned them all to death and walked away.

"I'm sorry Annabeth but I'm sure. I looked him right in the eye and he told me so. His very presence was proof enough but he told me he wanted me dead and he told me he was going after Leo. I need you two to keep Leo alive and bring him in. We are going to need everyone". They both understood and stood up.  
"The other two will have either left or made arrangements", Percy said. "We should get ready to leave as well. If Luke is gunning for Valdez then we need to move. Can you send us his location?" Chiron said he would and wished them good luck as they left.

They walked towards their personal rooms. As a highly ranking married couple they had given themselves a private room. It also helped that there was room enough for twenty and only five people staying there. Percy held his wife's hand until the door to the room was closed and he stepped forwards and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She was trembling but it wasn't from sorrow, that had passed. Annabeth was angry.

She struggled against his hold on her; not trying to break free but rather release some of her aggression. When that didn't work she spun in his grasp and screamed into his neck before biting him and digging her fingers into his skin. Despite the jacket and sweater he wore, each digit was like a small knife burrowing under his skin. But Percy stood there stoically. They had always shared their burdens with each other. Even before they had gotten married. But there had been times when one of them did not feel strong enough to carry that weight so the other would take it for as long as needed. That was their marriage. It was not about having to be strong but rather knowing they could be weak.

Annabeth leaned against her husband and vented all her anger and fear. Her rage and frustration. Her pain and sadness. Finally, she even let go of the small amount of happiness that she had felt when she learned that Luke was alive.

An hour had passed and Annabeth still hadn't spoken. Percy was not overly worried, she had gone days without speaking when she was caught up in a project. During those times, 'husband' translated to 'food and water bringer'. But this wasn't one of those times. It was not curiosity, drive or obsession that stopped her from talking. It was simply that she did not want to talk. He could understand that.

Percy was one of a handful of people who knew just how much Luke had meant to her. And he was the only one who she would open up to about how angry and sad and happy she was. But only when she was ready. So he kept packing whilst she sat on their temporary bed cleaning her blades. He made sure there was three days worth of supplies in each pack just incase they were separated from each other. He packed fresh clothes, gassed the bikes from the fuel tank and loaded Leo's last known location onto both onboard computers. Percy couldn't help but laugh when the computers, somehow, recognised the co-ordinates and announced the activation of the "Come to Papa" directive.

Out of all of their former team, Percy missed Leo the most. They had always been able to make each other laugh, and that was something you didn't take for granted in their line of work. There had been missions when they weren't sure they would make it home. Times that every moment had seemed like it would be their last. Most people would never understand how a small joke, a witty comment could save you from dying when you were already in the depths of hell. But Leo had.

Percy had been close to all of his team, just in different ways. Piper had been his sister, and Frank his brother. Hazel and Leo were his friends. Nico and Reyna were the ones he called for serious backup and Jason...once upon a time Jason had been his best friend. Closer than brothers, thicker than blood. Percy shook his head; that had been a long time ago.

With all his preparations made, he made his way down the hallway and back to his room where Annabeth still sat. Percy pushed open the door just as she sheathed her last blade. It slid home with the 'ssss' and 'shnickt' sounds he had become so familiar with. More often than not he could tell which blade she had just used from the sound. She stood and turned towards him. The question he wasn't going to ask was answered as she stepped forwards and lightly kissed his cheek. There was no tremors or tense muscles as they hugged each other. It would be foolish to think she was perfectly alright after such a short amount of time, but for now she was ready to work.


	4. Can't Fix Everything

They could not have asked for better weather. The sun was bright in the sky but the almost perfectly white clouds above them prevented the day from being blinding. They roared down the freeway with their helmets just cracked enough for the cool air to keep them fresh. It was a warm day but at the speeds they were travelling at, the air was always cool. They had set out the night before and managed to cover a decent distance before finding some roadside motel to spend the night. They had to keep reminding themselves that they had slept in far worse. But that wasn't much of a comfort and neither was the mattress. Annabeth got around the problem by sleeping on Percy. Percy distracted himself from the problem by sleeping beneath Annabeth. "All about teamwork", she murmured sleepily.

They woke the next day, grabbed a semi-decent breakfast at a coffee shop before hitting the road again. It was supposed to be a thirty-six hour drive but that was the time to break. The aim was twenty seven. They took shortcuts that didn't show up on the average GPS. They broke the speed limits and their licence plates showed up blurred on the traffic cameras. Both had become used to relaxing when they could. It kept them sane and allowed them to focus on the big things when they needed too. But neither forgot about the fact that they were probably riding into a trap with one of their friends as both the bait and the target.

Chiron was not lying when he spoke of Leo's importance, Annabeth thought as she overtook an eighteen wheeler in the blink of an eye. Overwatch had possessed superior training and personnel, but the price of that was numbers. They could never field the kind of force that their enemies would. They used unusual tactics to gain the upper hand and those were normally made possible due to Leo's work. The man was a genius.

Leo had come from a string of foster homes. He had never told anyone why he had joined the military and no one had asked. He was a smart-mouthed, scrawny kid according to his instructors and that didn't change much as he progressed through his training. Leo had passed all the physical testing comfortably enough that his colleagues didn't worry about him backing them up, but it was his mind that was the real asset. He was offered an engineering position straight after passing out but only accepted it after three years on tour. After several revolutionary designs in his first year, he retired after his contract was up. That was when Overwatch approached him.

Annabeth had been one of the ones to make the offer. She was as smart as he was and it was thought he would be at ease around her. They thought wrong.  
"I don't know if I've ever been this scared of a blond before". Annabeth thought that his first words to her were indicative of his personality.  
She thought right.

It had taken several visits before they were able to talk freely and had somewhat bonded over the trails and tribulations that come with being the smartest people in the room. She had asked about his designs for improved body armour and personal weaponry. Leo, thoroughly enjoying intelligent appreciation of his work for once, showed Annabeth his most dangerous and brilliant ideas. But only after swearing her to secrecy. Moments later she revealed to him the existence of Overwatch and extended the invitation she had been authorised to make.

Leo accepted immediately.

Annabeth cruised past a Mustang. She had always liked the idea of owning one but didn't see the point when her bike was superior in almost every way. Although, she mused, it might be nice to go for a long drive with her husband and be able to actually touch him. He chose that moment to accelerate past her and take the lead. She automatically watched him as he entered her field of view. She knew that Percy loved each member of their team, even Jason. It was just who he was. He would fight and die for all of them without a moments hesitation. And yet he was still especially close to Leo. They were so similar that they had almost gravitated to each other after they had first met. Both of them were very guarded about who they let close to them, but they were also the warmest and kindest people she had met; but only after you had earned it. The three of them had been very close before the fall. But they hadn't seen each other since. Annabeth wondered how he was. Annabeth wondered if he was still alive.

Around midday, Percy followed Annabeth off the highway and into a small diner. They parked up near the entrance and walked in, taking off their helmets as they did so. They took a booth and sat down; Percy with a clear view of the kitchens and emergency exit while Annabeth had a view of the entrance and their bikes. Each had given their surroundings a once over and, finding nothing out of the ordinary, they relaxed in their seats and skimmed the menu as they talked to the waitress.  
"What d'you two feel like today?" she asked, pen at the ready.  
"I'll have a chicken salad please", Percy ordered.  
"And I'll have a club sandwich" Annabeth added on.  
"Awesome. Anything to drink?"  
"A couple cokes and a pitcher of water. Thanks".  
"No problem. It'll be right with you".

Percy leaned back slightly, extending his legs out until they touched Annabeth's. He made eye contact and held it. He really loved looking into her eyes. They were the purest grey. He had once told her, years ago, that the grey of her eyes was the colour of the most beautiful and the most deadly storm. Percy had never seen her blush as fast as she had done at that moment. After all these years, nothing had changed.

Almost as if she knew what he was thinking, her cheeks tinged a faint pink and she smiled softly at him. Percy couldn't help but return it. A sweet smile, just for his wife. Their food came and was quickly demolished. It was filling but nothing special. Five years of cooking for themselves with actual ingredients, and not just rations, and both knew they could have done it better. But it was quick and convenient and that was what they really wanted. They paid and walked out just in time to run into a group of men admiring their bike.

There were seven and almost instinctively, Annabeth had positioned herself close enough to take out the four on the right whilst Percy moved so he could strike the three on the left. Both had a decent idea of who was carrying what weapons. They were all dressed so stereotypically of a biker gang that it was all Percy could do to not laugh out loud.

"Are these your rides?" one of them asked. He wasn't the biggest or tallest of them all but he had the bushiest beard. Clearly that was enough to grant him power over the others based on how they were looking at him. His question was innocent but his eyes leered so intently at Annabeth that Percy was genuinely concerned with the man's safety.  
"Yes they are" he answered, hoping to bring attention back to him. It worked. The man grunted.  
"How much?" Everyone always asked this question. As if they would ever part with these machines. Half of the components were still technically national secrets.  
"They're not for sale".  
"We could always take them from you". Each one of them puffed themselves up like peacocks believing that it made them look intimidating rather than foolish.  
"You could try". It was the quiet certainty in his voice that made them pause. They took a closer look at them both and noticed the muscular build beneath the suits. They noticed the perfectly still stance and the knowledge in their eyes. The knowledge that the seven of them were already dead, and that killing them would be a mere formality. They paled rather suddenly.  
"It was just a joke man" said the bearded one, his voice far less confident than it had been. "See you around". They moved around the couple and walked straight into the diner. Annabeth let out the breath she had been holding.

"I was this close to stabbing him" she said as he held up two fingers and placed them a hairs breadth from each other.  
"I know and I'm proud that you didn't kill anyone. Let's get moving before he comes back out and gets himself sliced for his troubles".

Once back on the road, the encounter already forgotten, they continued following the beacon that marked Leo's location. The closer they got the more detail the map would show, but right now all they knew was that he was in Mexico; somewhere near the eastern coast. They passed through the southern states and then crossed the border. It made a refreshing change to use their real passports for once. They flew through the country, heading further south. They had a beautiful view of the Gulf of Mexico; it had been on their left for several hours now and the waters shimmered idyllically. The shifting waters causing a kaleidoscope of colour. Leo's signal was now reading some miles away, in a small city named Tampico. They reached it twenty-six hours after setting out and they were both grinning inside their helmets.

They both spoke Spanish and rode into the first bed and breakfast with vacancies that they found. It was a beautiful little building. The walls were painted the colour of soft sunshine and there were matching flowers lining the small courtyard. Percy and Annabeth passed over the cobbles and parked their bikes in the area behind the hotel. Helmets under arm, they walked through the doors and towards the reception. Maria the receptionist spoke perfect English and directed them to a nice ground floor room that had a view of their bikes from the window. They both collapsed back onto the bed.

"I'm not used to spending that much time on a bike. Out of practice". Percy massaged his thighs as he laid next to his wife.  
"I know what you mean. You're giving me a massage tonight". Her eyes were closed and her face turned towards his. Percy could just see the beginnings of a smile upon her lips.  
"Is that so? And what do I get?" he asked in reply.  
"You get to give me a massage". Now she was fully grinning. Percy laughed and agreed to the exchange of goods and services. He got up and headed to shower. Ten minutes later they switched places and Annabeth freshened up after a whole day on a bike in a compression suit.

Changing clothes to look more like a couple on a romantic holiday, Percy wore a white linen shirt and soft beige trousers whilst Annabeth went with a white and red circle skirt beneath a pale blue sleeveless blouse. Both looked intimidatingly attractive by themselves and were fairly sure that together, no one would pay attention to the network of scars that crisscrossed their bodies. Percy eyed his wife's body. The fact that he didn't know how many knives she had on her after all these years together made him smile. He himself had gone for the minimalist approach; no weaponry but he was wearing his vambraces on his shins in case he needed them.

Percy offered his arm to Annabeth and she entwined hers with his own before heading out the room. Maria's eyes widened not-so-subtly at the transformation from tired travellers to most desirable couple she had ever seen.  
"If you want to flirt with her as well then don't stop on my account", Percy whispered as they walked past her. Annabeth glared at him but her smile undercut the threat. They wished Maria a good evening and left, obviously to enjoy a night out in the city. The idea that they were performing reconnaissance did not cross anyone's mind. It wasn't supposed to.

They strolled down the street, obviously headed nowhere in particular but rather just wanting to spend time together. They turned randomly down streets that looked beautiful and gazed at each other frequently as they walked arm-in-arm with each other. It was clear to anyone that they were fiercely in love with each other, but no one realised that they were employing advanced counter surveillance techniques. They had long perfected using their relationship to hide their actions.

The route they were taking was actually meticulously planned out. Leo's location was now being fed to them in real time to within one metre. A quick internet search revealed that the building he was in was a mechanics shop owned by Ortiz Falchio. They both recognised it as one of his old aliases.  
"Based on the movements, I'm guessing he works and lives there", Annabeth had pointed out before they left the room.  
"Agreed. Standard recon pattern Delta then?"

They followed that pattern for almost three hours that night. Pattern Delta gave them almost complete view of all sides of the building without needing to get too close. It kept them anonymous whilst still providing information about the target and its surroundings. It allowed them to generate primary, secondary and various backup routes to and from the location in question.

At some point they crossed paths with a little restaurant that was full of soft candlelight and softer linens. It possessed a simple elegance and gave a perfect view of Leo's shop. They sat down to eat, with Annabeth watching the target and Percy keeping an eye on everything else. The food was delicious and they were genuinely enjoying themselves.

"This is a really nice place", Annabeth murmured as she rested her hand on Percy's and his fingers caressed hers. Their meal had been amazing. She had always loved seafood and so did the city. She sat, back straight but leaning forwards, eyes drifting between her husband and the shop behind him. "We should holiday more often". Percy nodded.  
"We should. There are a few places I wouldn't mind ticking off of my list". Percy thought about nice beaches and tropical rainforests and snowy slopes. Annabeth thought of bustling medinas and soaring architecture and crumbling ruins. Percy smiled at his wife before standing to go pay. When he came back, he wrapped his arm around Annabeth's waist and they walked out; continuing their recon and their date.

By the time they returned to their room, they had several different routes planned out as well as the locations of all possible security cameras and any local guards. They knew where any attack would come from and the best way to escape from each one. Their work was done and they fell into bed. Neither were tired.

The next day, Percy held the door open for his wife as they both stepped through the door of Ortiz's Auto Repair and Workshop. The waiting area was small, filled with a a mismatched collection of chairs with a small table covered in magazines in the middle. Apart from a single clock, the walls were clean and bare. Opposite the door was a desk with a computer monitor on it and to the side was an opening that lead to the workshop. It was a simple, spartan and singularly forgettable place. Leo had done his work well.

They sat down to wait and they listened to the actual customers. The man who worked here was a genius, they said. He had never failed to repair something and had worked for free just to be helpful. He was so handsome, an older women said. It was a shame he didn't want to be set up with their granddaughters. Ortiz was a respectable young man. Percy and Annabeth grinned upon hearing that.

Leo was indeed a great and good man. But he was also wild, unpredictable and downright outrageous at times. He was definitely not for the faint of heart. As if summoned by their thoughts, Leo walked out from the workshop and greeted his customers. They both stifled their gasps; it had been so long! If possible he had become more...Leo. His face was more angular and his hair was curlier. His eyes were wilder and his movements more energetic. Or perhaps it had just been so long since they had seen him that they had forgotten the spark in his eyes and the danger in his smile.

He held a crate of items that were clearly ready for collection and placed it on his desk.  
"Good morning everyone! I hope you are all well as I am not as good as fixing people as I am at fixing machines. The best I could do is send you back to your maker". There was laughter around the room and affection in everyone's eyes. It was clear that Leo was loved by these people. He handed out the items and seemed to be on a first name basis with everyone. Soon the crate was empty and everyone was leaving. The moment the last person left the store, Leo reached beneath his desk and door locked itself at the touch of a button. For the first time he looked towards his old comrades and, just like that, Ortiz the repair man became Leo the Soldier. It was a transformation that was hard to explain yet impossible to ignore.

"Well if it isn't Percabeth. Everyone's favourite OTP". He stood perfectly still, gaze flickering between them both.  
"I've told you before Valdez, stop calling us that!" Annabeth snapped at him. Percy met Leo's stare and they both snorted from laughter. They were still laughing as he came out from behind his desk and the other two stood to greet him. He reached Percy first and they met in a warm hug. They parted and Leo turned to Annabeth who embraced him as well. Soldiers they may be but they were also family and they had missed each other.

They followed Leo back into his workshop and waited while he fiddled with a dusty old radio. A single red light appeared on the dial and he turned around, gesturing for them to sit wherever they wanted to. Annabeth balanced herself upon a metal frame and Percy perched on a stack of tires. From the looks of the shop he repaired everything. There were tools for cars, electronics and plumbing. It made sense to them both; there had never been anything that was beyond him.

"It's good to see you guys again, it really is. But you wouldn't be here without a reason". Leo's voice hadn't changed at all. It was still as soft as silk.  
"Did you not get the recall?" Annabeth asked, confused.  
"What? We were recalled? When?"  
"A few days ago. Chiron activated it after we were attacked" Percy supplied. Leo looked between them both as if to try sense a joke but found nothing.  
"Start from the beginning" Leo said before turning his attention to Annabeth.

While she recounted the tale, Percy took the chance to re-examine the work space. He had given it a perfunctory once over when he entered, noting down the entry and exit points, potential cover and hazards etc. But now he made a more detailed assessment. He saw the traces of an Overwatch level security modification and relaxed somewhat.

"So there is a big bad in the world and we are, once again, needed to stop it". Annabeth nodded and watched as he walked back over to his old radio and cracked it open. Inside the aged casing was technology that didn't exist anywhere else in the world. He examined it for a few minutes and resealed it, cursing under his breath. "My call blocker was on" Leo explained to their confused faces. Percy laughed but Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Idiot. Are you coming back or not?" She posed the question bluntly. There really wasn't any time to waste. Leo's face changed; it became anxious.  
"I...don't know. I mean, I like it here guys. I've made a home here. Yeah it can get lonely but it's mine you know? Of course you know, you bought a house".  
"Yeah but they came into our house and drove us out of it. They're coming for you too man. Luke admitted it. He's coming for you". A small frown appeared on the engineer's face at Percy's words. He hadn't known Luke that well but the idea of betraying one of his friends made him feel sick. He couldn't understand how he had been able to do it.  
"Then let him come. If he thinks to find me easy prey then I'll surprise the head right off his shoulders". Someone else would have laughed at the serious words coming from so slight an individual. But Overwatch never made idle threats.  
"He may not be a threat to you" Annabeth countered, "But do you honestly think he will attack alone? He will bring a small army and artillery you can't hope to compete with. He's not stupid. He was Overwatch and he knows exactly what you're capable of. There is no such thing as overkill in this situation. And when he comes he won't care about collateral damage". The words hit Leo hard as he imagined this city, his city, in flames.  
"And we're not asking you to rejoin Overwatch forever. Just one last mission to save the world". Percy grinned, knowing what Leo was going to say.  
"You know as well as I do Jackson; there is no such thing as one last mission". Once again Annabeth rolled her eyes at the two of them.

Leo looked around at his shop. He had been happy here, there was no doubt. But there was also no doubting the fact that he had wanted something...more. There was something missing from his life and perhaps he could find it again with one last mission. He smiled in spite of himself. Leo nodded, first for his own benefit and then again for his friends.  
"Yeah, I'll ride with you". Annabeth nodded in response and Percy simply smiled. They had both clearly been worried about this. "What's the plan?"  
"We all regroup back at base. After everyone has who they went looking for we get organised and go from there". Annabeth looked as if she expected Leo to get moving right that second.  
"Sorry but that doesn't work for me", Leo stated calmly. "I have a few caches I need to visit before things get really hectic".  
"Well alright, where are they?"  
"I'm not telling you".  
"Don't you trust us?"  
"With my life? Yes. With my toys? Never".

Annabeth glared at him then turned to Percy who shrugged. "Would you trust him with your sword?"  
"Don't be absurd".  
"Well there you go. Besides we're not in any rush are we?" Percy looked between the two. "Frank has no idea where Hazel is and Jason has to convince Piper to come back with him. We can visit a few caches along the way home".  
"They're not exactly along the way but I get the point. Give me an hour to settle up here and then we can head out". Annabeth and Percy nodded and stood up to leave.  
"Shall we get some food?" Percy asked, twisting his little finger around Annabeth's. She smiled brightly and they headed to the same restaurant as the previous night. Leo watched them go, both happy for them and jealous of them. It wasn't a new feeling.

Lunch was just as delicious as dinner had been. The two shared simple seafood platter. They opted for smaller meals as they would be travelling all day and ten minutes before the hour was up they were thoroughly grateful that they had.  
"Incoming". This time it was Percy who had eyes on the repair shop. Annabeth did not freeze at his word but she made small movements that would look perfectly natural to anyone watching when in fact she was preparing to stand and turn in a heartbeat. The one thing she didn't do, was look around. "At least two teams of ten at the front, probably more behind. Military. Perimeter up. Heavy guns about to breach. Breach failed".

Annabeth sighed. It was one thing to believe that Leo had his place reinforced, it was another matter entirely to see it in action. At this point everyone else in the restaurant had turned to watch and Annabeth joined them, moving to stand next to her husband as she did.  
"We clear the back" she said.  
"Agreed", came the response. They waited for the inevitable gunshots at the door before joining the other patrons and rushing from the restaurant. Two quick turns and they were quietly making their way towards the back of the shop. Even before it came in sight, they could hear the team talking. They weren't even trying to remain unheard. It annoyed them both on a professional level but made counting them easier.

***

Leo had been having a good day. He had woken up alone as always but he felt pretty happy. He knew what was going to happen today. People would talk to him and smile at him and thank him for the work he was doing. It was a simple and easy life but it was his. And so what if some days it was a little boring and monotonous? So what if he used to design state of the art vehicles and weaponry and gadgets with no real classification. This was just as good.

Every morning, Leo would tell himself the same things over and over in the hopes that one day he'd believe them. He would state his happiness over and over again. But the truth was that he hadn't been happy in a long time. Leo didn't hate his life, not by a long shot. Neither did he love it though. It was almost as if he was just killing time. For what, he did not know.

Leo went down to his shop at eight in the morning and opened it all up before heading to his work space. To everyone else on the planet, it was a confusing mess of odds and ends. To him it was a haven where everything made sense. Even the things you didn't understand.

PingPingPingPingPing

The mechanic looked up at his computer system. He had disguised one of the finest pieces of security tech as an old analogue radio. Leo reached over and pressed a few buttons and the surface of his worktable opened up to reveal a touch screen interface. And right there in the middle of his table were the faces of two of his closest friends.

It was like being stabbed in the chest and Leo knew what that felt like. All the air left him as two of the people he had missed most in the world were walking down the street towards his shop. 'This cannot be chance' he thought to himself. 'This is not a coincidence'. Leo tapped away at the screen for a few seconds before he had footage of everything Percy and Annabeth had done the moment they stepped into his city.  
"Pattern Delta", he murmured to himself.

There was trouble. Old habits may die hard but these two weren't stupid. If they were expecting something to happen then it was damn sure going to happen. He watched as they opened the door to his shop and took a seat. They didn't seem to be in any rush.

Leo's mind was turning over every possibility and none of them were good. The two of them, in his city, in his shop after five years of silence was not a good sign. It was a very, very bad sign. He leaned back in his chair and ran his fingers through his curly hair and smiled. Despite everything, he couldn't deny he was happy to see them again. He stood up and grabbed the box of repaired items; he still had a job to do after all. Before he headed into the room, Leo made sure to wipe the smile off of his face and replace it with a different one.

 

Thirty minutes.

After all the work he had put into this place in the last five years, it took a half hour conversation to be persuaded to leave it. Leo looked around at his business, his home. He had been happy here. It was simple but it had been nice. A place to rest his head every night and not get shot at. You take that for granted until you lose it. Leo continued packing everything he wanted to take with him into a small duffle bag. There wasn't much. Partly because he was still, at heart, a military man. Able to pack light and be comfortable like that. But he realised it was also because there really wasn't anything he wanted to take with him.

He had scattered little things everywhere. Pictures and the like. Things that would make his office and apartment above it less severe. Yet the only thing he truly wanted to take with him was the one thing he couldn't; his security system. And as if to give him one last gift, his security system began going off.

Leo practically jumped into his desk chair and pulled up his video system. He had complete 360 degree viewing around his home. There were about twenty guys in front of the shop and more coming from behind. They had heavy gear and Leo knew automatically that his reinforced doors and walls wouldn't be able to hold for very long. But he had some time.

He watched as they attempted to breach the front door and failed. 'Really guys? You thought you could kick my door down?' Leo was more offended than worried. These guys knew who he was, had he not earned any respect? He was mollified when they removed a mechanised battering ram and bolted it to the ground. 'That's more like it' he thought with a nod. Leo hurried back into his workshop and pressed his thumb to the sensor on his radio.

In almost perfect silence, two automatic rifles popped out of the front wall of his shop and began targeting the men at the front of his house. Seven went down before the others scrambled for cover, but the ram had already been turned on. It shook the entire building and Leo figured it would need four more to break the door down. A quick glance at the cameras told him that he didn't need to worry about the guys in the back.

Leo strolled over to a tall cabinet in the corner of his workshop and began the process of opening it. He never had understood the preference for knives or hand-to-hand, Leo thought as he entered the 7 digit code. It was too wild and unpredictable. He unlocked the padlock and then scanned his retina. No, Leo's style of fighting had been effective and accurate. When in the military he had opted for the most accurate handguns he could find. Two in at the waist and two in the back. But ever since Overwatch he had finally been able to design and commission his own weapon. Leo Valdez pulled open the final door and grinned at the sight.  
"Oh I've missed you".

***

Percy and Annabeth had just finished the count when a loud BOOM echoed from the front.  
"Was that mortar fire?" Percy demanded, hands coming up in a defensive pattern. He immediately knew it wasn't from the reaction of the soldiers they were about to kill. His wife confirmed it.  
"No that was them trying to get through the door". Annabeth was rearranging her weapons. The daggers were easily concealed but she had left her sword at the hotel. Instead, she had worn her long knives strapped to the outside of her thighs and had to move them from inside her clothes to the outside. Percy watched, amused.  
"Stripping in public. I have to say, I'm learning so much about you this trip". Annabeth ignored her husband as she pulled her pants back up, her knives now easily accessible.

"I'll go high, you go low". Annabeth said nothing in reply so Percy, smirking, dropped a quick kiss on her lips and scaled the building they were taking cover behind. The space behind Leo's shop was a long and narrow alleyway that lead to the street. That was going to be very bad for the soldiers. On both sides were the high walls of warehouses and Percy had just snuck into one. He would drop down like death itself, right into the middle of them and then Annabeth would charge round the corner, blades drawn.

At least, that was the plan.

The plan worked, mostly. Percy leapt from the second floor and landed on someone who's name he didn't catch. Seconds later he was tearing through the rest of his squad as Annabeth joined the fray and stabbed three soldiers in the back; all of whom had turned to see what was happening behind them. She cut and slashed like a Valkyrie and moved from target to target. Her knives danced through the air and she saw, beyond her targets, that Percy was fighting as lethally as always. Until he got shot in the chest.

He went down with a cry and Annabeth's mind went blank. She didn't panic or get angry, she just moved. One second there were five soldiers between them and a heartbeat later they were all dead and she was dragging him into cover.

"Fuck that hurts", he groaned as he tried to sit up. Annabeth pulled him up against the car they were crouching behind and ripped his shirt open. The bullet had been crushed against his body armour and she plucked it away and pocketed it. Only then did she exhale.  
"Well you deserve it for letting yourself get shot!" she snapped back. Percy was clutching at his chest and checking his ribs.  
"Hey! It's not like I did it on purpose!". He was wincing with every breathe but still managed to draw his gun and shoot twice at the two men who appeared behind her. They dropped to the floor and Annabeth didn't even bother turning around.  
"It's not hard dumbass! Avoid the end with the hole in it!" Percy knew he had terrified her; he could see it in her face. But this was not the time and they both knew it. His ribs were bruised, maybe cracked but it wasn't anything he hadn't experienced before. He held his hand out and Annabeth hauled him to his feet, none too gently either.  
"Ow, easy". Percy rolled his shoulders and picked up a second gun. The ribs would make him half a second slower and that was too much. He was fighting from a distance now. With a glance at Annabeth, Percy left cover and began suppressing fire. He forced their heads down and then Annabeth burst from beside him and launched herself into their midst.

She was angry. Mostly at him, Percy figured. She was not going to go easy on him later. But right now she had someone she could actually kill and she was doing a great job. Annabeth weaved around and whirled through them. A streak of blond, silver and scarlet. Where she went, death followed. They had cleared most of the enemy before he had gone down and now Annabeth finished the rest by herself.

The last man had been on the other side of a SUV. Annabeth had thrown both of her knives at him; half a second apart. The passenger window had already been down and they flew through. The first blade shattered the driver side window and the second followed through then lodged itself in his neck. The force rocked his head back and he collapsed. Percy walked towards his and saw his body twitching, a gurgling sound escaping from his throat as he breathed his last through bubbles of blood. He plucked the knives out of the mans body and wiped them clean before handing them back.  
"Not even a thank you?" he quipped. He only received a look in return. They both began moving back towards Leo's shop before unlocking the door and making their way inside.

"It's just us!" Annabeth called out; walking in unannounced would have been a good way to get shot.  
"Understood!" came the response. They both joined Leo as he stood at his window. He had clearly been fighting and they noticed his gear.

Like them, Leo was wearing his old equipment. On his chest was a mottled grey and blue bulletproof vest, the prototype of the ones they wore. A simple hunting knife on his waist. In his hands were two custom handguns that had been designed and built by the man himself. Leo had said he often lamented about the drawbacks of handguns forcing him to use a rifle in combat. After he had joined Overwatch, one of the first things he did was design his own weapon and fund a couple prototypes. It was never approved for mass production but Leo wasn't too broken up about it. The prototypes became his new primary weapon.

In each hand was a duel magazine, semi-automatic pistol with inbuilt suppression and internal stabilisers to counter the vibration of each bullet. The second magazine clip slotted in a few inches in front of the trigger guard allowing it to be held with both hands if desired. With these weapons Leo had broken every record set using a handgun.

The effectiveness of the weapon could be seen through the window. Bodies dressed in military clothing were scattered in front of his shop and at least two cars were on fire. Leo looked down on it all with a look of pure exhilaration on his face. None of them enjoyed killing but they very much loved surviving.  
"It seems we have to leave a touch earlier than expected" Percy said, flinching slightly as he put his hand on Leo's shoulder. He noticed the action at once; his eyes narrowed.  
"Why did you let yourself get shot?" he demanded.  
"That's what I asked", Annabeth said. Percy just shook his head and turned around to head out.  
"If the front is clear I'd prefer to leave from there. Easier to get to our bikes", Percy waited in the reception area for the all clear. Leo nodded and they all left the building.  
"Mine is in the other direction. You can give me a lift".

Before they could move away, the row of shops in front of them erupted into gunfire and all three of them dived for cover behind the destroyed ruins of the cars. Gunmen had hidden in the buildings opposite Leo's place and had been waiting there as a contingency.

It was a constant hail of gunfire, not meant to suppress but to kill. Percy and Annabeth went left and were crouched behind one SUV while Leo had gone right and was tucked behind another SUV.  
"Leo! You alive?" Percy roared over the almost deafening sounds. He was. Leo had pulled up his sleeve and was tapping away at his forearm. "What are you doing?"  
"Calling in some back up!" The grin on his face made the other two very nervous but Leo just waved away any further questions. His back up appeared twenty seconds later answering some of those questions but raising several new ones.

A motorbike came roaring down the street towards the scene of urban warfare. It spun round the back of Leo's SUV in a blur of yellow and black before moving up and setting itself between the two vehicles.  
"Bumblebee!" Leo shouted out, "defend us!"

Two kickstands descended all the way to the ground for stability as a single minigun popped up from...somewhere. Annabeth was looking at the bike when it did that and she still couldn't figure it out. The minigun was also one of Leo's original designs and when it began to fire it began glowing bright green.  
"Cool right?"

The married couple rolled their eyes in perfect unison as Leo started laughing. His gun tore through the soldiers, sending the ones still alive scurrying for cover. "Go!" he shouted at Percy and Annabeth. "I'll hold them here, you get to your bikes. I'll meet you at the base". They tried to refuse but Leo looked Annabeth dead in the eye, "if you stay here, your husband will die before you do". She stopped and looked at her husband. He tried to hide it but he was feeling worse than before; he was pale and taking short, fast breaths. His ribs were definitely broken.

Annabeth turned to Leo, "don't do anything stupid Valdez! Get out and get to base, understand?" He nodded and they prepared to run.  
"I have some stuff to get but I'll meet you there eventually". Annabeth and Percy had already broken cover when his words registered with both of them. Annabeth slowed, already planning to wring his neck when Percy grabbed her arm and kept her running forwards. Soon they were out of Leo's line of sight and with a reckless grin, he stepped forwards and onto his bike.

He reached out his arms and took manual control on the minigun, aiming it at the supports of the buildings opposite. In less than thirty seconds the entire row of shops collapsed, burying the surviving soldiers under rubble. With a deft touch he stowed the minigun gripped the handles tight. Biometric sensors recognised him and brought the engine roaring to life. As a squad began running down the street from the direction Percy and Annabeth had gone, Leo was thankful he had put on his compression suit before packing up his stuff.

Leo tore out from between the cars and shot down the street, ducking low to present less of a target. He had to get away but he also needed to draw attention away from the other two. He knew they had been wearing their compression gear under their clothes; he could tell. But Percy was still injured and while Leo couldn't guarantee all of the attention on him, he would get most.

***

Annabeth ran forwards making sure Percy was right behind her. The distance between Leo's and their hotel that had been so short yesterday seemed to stretch for miles today. She had her gun out in plain sight as they turned the corner and were greeted by the familiar yellow walls and botanical arrangements. They ran to the back and found four soldiers, wrapped from head to toe in body armour and weaponry, guarding over their machines.

Annabeth shot two the moment she saw them and Percy drew his guns to finish off the other two. Bodies fell like bowling pins as they moved towards the bikes. Annabeth broke through their room window and retrieved her sword and their packs.  
"You ok?" she asked handing him his bag. Percy just nodded in reply but she could see him wince as he mounted his bike. They rode out together and headed back the way they had come. Following their GPS, they cruised through the city streets, waiting for the fire to rain down on them. They could hear at least one helicopter flying somewhere over the city but Annabeth couldn't tell if it was an enemy or civilian.

They managed to make their way out of the city limits and after riding a little further, pulled up next to a small cliff face which gave them a great view of the town. The helicopter was completely and illegally unmarked. Definitely an enemy asset, but it did not seem at all interested in them. It was flying back and forth over the city. They caught glimpses of a small convoy of armoured cars on the streets below. And just once, the saw a flash of colour.  
"Bumblebee".  
"Leo".

***

Leo flew through the streets, heading towards areas he knew had been deserted. He did not want to turn this place into a war zone. Leo rode towards an abandoned industrial site. Warehouses were everywhere; five stories high and outfitted for a lot of different industrial purposes. The only problem was that nobody wanted them. Leo remembered first coming here. He would walk through these buildings and imagine what he could do with them. Factories, testing, R&D, he could see it all. The work he could have done here!

Those were the times that he missed Overwatch the most. He had been one of the worlds greatest engineers and then all of a sudden he was barely a step above a tinkerer. Leo easily outpaced the cars chasing him and took a hard right that led between two buildings. Two more right turns later and he was waiting for his pursuers. Leo had positioned himself on a small ramp inside of a warehouse with a clear view of the road he had been on moments ago. His minigun was ready to fire; all he needed was a target.

They were kind enough to present themselves a few seconds later.

The first one went past unharmed. By the time the second car was in sight, the armour piercing rounds were already hurtling through the air. They tore through the metal as if it was paper and slaughtered the people inside. The momentum of the car carried it through the storm and it was replaced by another. Leo managed to neutralise three cars with this method and the surviving ones became more cautious afterwards. He felt a grim satisfaction that these people had tried to kill him and Leo was the one left standing.

Once again the minigun was stowed away and Leo was trying to be bait and escape at the same time which was turning out to be rather counter productive. There were still three SUV's chasing him and he could hear the unmistakable sounds of an attack helicopter. Leo could tell the make and model from the noise the blades were making; he'd helped design it.

As far as he knew, there were only two of those in existence, because after building two Leo had destroyed the plans and no one else could replicate them. The fact that they were willing to send one after him was flattering. It was also terrifying because a single one of those things was capable of wiping out a small town. A small town like this one, Leo said to himself. And he was sure that eventually the pilot would be given orders to open fire on the town and force Leo to stop running. In fact he was surprised it hadn't already happened.

Leo leaned to the side and hit the front brakes causing his bike to swing out. He let go of the brakes and twisted the throttle and shot past the cars that had almost caught him. His 180 degree turn confused his pursuers and Leo was able to divert inside of a warehouse. This one had very little equipment inside, allowing Bumblebee to be driven up the staircase. Up and up until he broke through the door to the roof.

He could see for miles around. There was a small cliff face to the north and beautiful, blue waters to the east. And straight ahead, flying towards him, was the helicopter. It was exactly as he remembered it. Aerodynamically flawless. Everything about the machine was custom made. It had been so expensive that even before Leo had destroyed the plans, there had not been many interested parties. Looking at it Leo felt like, for the third time today, he was looking at an old friend.

Except this one was trying to kill him.

"Just like most of my old friends", he mumbled. Leo rolled up his sleeve and once again accessed his personal supercomputer. Technically the device on his arm was a wireless terminal which communicated with the supercomputer which was stored in a secure location. But that was a mouthful. With a few gestures, Leo pointed the device at the oncoming helicopter and waited. The fact that it took several seconds to be breached proved how dangerous the chopper was. It also proved that they had someone else change the programming. The original code was unbreakable. "Goddamn I'm good".

Once Leo was in, he disengaged the manual controls and set the autopilot to take them far out to sea. He also put all the missiles on a timed launch with the target being the helicopter itself. He watched with a smile as the helicopter turned around smoothly before flying seawards at full speed. Which was very fast.

Leo paused for a second and admired his bike. Without it he would most certainly be dead right now. Leo had designed his own bike last and had used lessons he had learned from the others. His bike was slightly larger than the others, heavier. The increased mass coupled with a more powerful engine made it far easier to control. It also left room for a few interesting additions. Like the minigun. That had been the part Leo had enjoyed the most. Picking what to augment his bike with. He had chosen a variety of gadgets for a variety or reasons. One of them was the minigun. Another was the piton

He headed straight for the side of the building. Leo needed to get to the ground and this was the fastest way to do it. Just before he hit the edge, Leo pressed a small switch on the left side of the chassis. Triggered, a small titanium piton fired from just above his rear wheel and dug into the roof just as he rode off of the building. The piton was attached to a steel cable trailing from beneath the chassis. The cable pulled taut and the bike, with Leo on it, swung down until the wheels hit the wall. The mechanic grinned as he roared down the outside of the building. He couldn't help but laugh, it was exactly as he thought it would be. Outside of testing he had never done this before.

Leo slowed down at the bottom so instead of hitting the ground he merely rolled onto it. The cable disengaged from the bike and was left dangling against the wall as Leo rode away. There were still three cars left and he needed to deal with them otherwise he would never be sure they wouldn't target the people of this town.

***

They watched as the helicopter flew erratically away from land. Thirty seconds later the missiles launched, turned in a wide arc and struck the helicopter itself. The machine exploded and flaming wreckage plummeted into the water. Percy and Annabeth looked at each other.  
"Makes you wonder what he's been doing to keep his edge", he mused.  
"Probably the same as us, I imagine". They both stayed where they were; unwilling to leave and reluctant to butt in. "We'd never have done this five years ago", Annabeth remarked. "Leo said he'd take care of it, we would've been gone".  
"I was thinking that. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing we've lost our operational etiquette".

There was another moment in which they hesitated between courses of action until Annabeth decisively turned away from the action.  
"Come on. With those ribs it's going to take longer getting back, compression suit or not". Percy agreed and the two slowly rode away, neither of them looking back.

***

Leo had only one car left then he was free. He found himself already planning what he was going to do after this and scolded himself; that was how people died. Leo rode all over the industrial site and could not find the final SUV anywhere. A quick search of the security cameras told him why.

The SUV had moved away from the deserted and derelict buildings and was terrorising the populated areas on the other side of town from Leos shop. He rode as fast as he dared, speeding through streets and taking every shortcut he could. Eventually he could hear the sounds of screaming and gunfire coming from up ahead.

Leo rode into the city square and found carnage. Several market stalls had been destroyed and their ruins set alight. Bodies littered the floor. Thankfully some were still moving. There were people fleeing in all directions and the scent of smoke filled the air. Right in the centre of the square was the SUV. They were firing from all sides; they had raised the rear hatch and were even shooting from there. Leo drew his weapons just as they gunned down a small family.

He had never been fond of the standard issue weapons and the ones he held now were not in any way standard. They looked like mini rifles instead of handguns, but with them Leo could shoot a cherry off of a tree from across the orchard. Or he could put a bullet in an eyeball from across a plaza square. Which he did. Leo had always been a phenomenal shot.

Two bullets tore through two different skulls and came bursting out of the back, courtesy of the augmented ammunition. Once the shooters in the front had died, Leo raced up and leapt onto the hood and delivered a single bullet to everyone else inside the car. At first, Leo expected a trap but realised they had just been ordered to kill as many people as they could before they died.

Leo looked around at the destruction that filled the once bright and happy place. He mourned the losses he had brought upon this town but sirens sounded in the distance. He could not be here when the police arrived. He dropped down and ran back to his bike, holstering his weapons as he moved. Within five minutes he was flying out of the small city and heading north. His weapons were stowed away and all his documents were in order. He would cross the border and go pick up his cache. Then he would head towards Long Island. It wouldn't take very long at all.


	5. Ice Cold

To say it was cold was an understatement. Jason had just exited the plane and the wind cut through his layers of clothing and made him shiver as he hadn't done since his trek across the Arctic Circle. He tried to regain his composure as he made his way through immigration; they took their time with him. He was clearly a dangerous individual and that, coupled with his American passport, made Russian Immigration do an extensive search on him. They obviously believed he was CIA. If they knew the truth, that he was a far greater threat, then they would execute him on the spot.

At least they would try.

But the identity he was travelling under was perfect. It was littered with just the right amount of parking tickets and 'drunk and disorderly' charges to make him seem like an average guy. Eventually he made his way out of the airport carrying a long bag he hadn't arrived with and walked straight towards a licensed taxi. In the past he would deliberately affect a strong American accent and drop into the most disreputable looking taxi he could. More often than not he would find himself taken in the wrong direction. Sometimes they would simply try to mug him, other times they would take him hostage. In either case it would normally end with Jason walking away without harm leaving bodies in his wake. He considered it performing a service for whatever city he was visiting.

However now that he was once again a member of Overwatch, he had to act within the boundaries of morality and ethics. That meant no baiting people and no killing without very good cause. The taxi took him from Domodedovo airport to the old safehouse in Moscow. It was a stone's throw from the Kremlin. Jason knew for a fact that there were three other espionage agencies nearby but none were as close as they were. The Kremlin Regiment maintained a perimeter within which, they claimed, there was no foreign presence. None but them.

Jason paid the taxi driver and thanked him in flawless Russian. Moving over to the safehouse door, he gripped the handle and shook the door. It appeared to be stuck and unwilling to move when in reality, the handle had been reading Jason's fingerprints before letting him in. He closed the door quickly, eager to escape the cold, and took in the space.

It was a townhouse deep in the heart of Russia. Everything was of the highest quality. The floor was hardwood and covered with luxuriously thick rugs. The walls were painted with oranges and reds to give the illusion of heat while the rugs were almost pure black. Jason headed up the stairs until he came to the operations room. It was exactly how he remembered it. The shelves full of reference books covered most of the wall space, whilst in the middle of the room was the table. It was directly beneath the chandelier and was littered with papers. There was a free-standing whiteboard covered with pictures and schedules whilst a fire crackled from within its grate.

Jason dropped his bag next to the entrance and walked around. There was no need to touch anything, he had already been proven right. "She always did prefer a clean base" he muttered to himself, almost smiling at the memories.

They had worked together for many years before the fall. Piper was the brains and Jason the brawn. Which was not to say that Piper wasn't strong or that Jason wasn't smart. They were just aware of their strengths and played to them. Jason sat down at the table and looked over all the open documents. The pieces of her plan were all here. Schedules, routes, times, dates, backups. Everything you needed to complete a successful operation. Her target was a spider. A figure hidden in shadows but at the centre of a web. Everything went through them.

The purpose of her mission wasn't clear but her plan was slowly taking shape. It helped that he had watched her form many plans over their history. Jason knew how Piper thought; at least he used to. He leaned backwards in the chair. Piper had always hated when he did that.

"One day you're going to fall backwards!"  
"On that day you'll catch me".

The memories made him smile before he stood up. If he was correct then her plan was happening now. There was no time to rest or plan anything elaborate. He memorised everything he could before running to get changed. This would require a very specific uniform.

***

When she woke up that morning, Piper McLean was not alone. She was, in fact, sandwiched between a husband and wife. An excessively wealthy but otherwise seemingly normal Russian couple from the social elite. No one, not even their direct subordinates were supposed to know that they were in fact, the two people at the very top of the former KGB intelligence service that had been rebranded for modern day Russia. Not even the President knew who they were. All he knew was that they were.

But Piper had known.

She knew everything about them from their shoe size to their sexual fetishes. Which was how she ended up sleeping in a bed with two other naked people. Knowing what she knew, it had been unfairly easy to get this close. She had positioned herself in a specific location and situation wearing a very certain dress and her hair just so. In that moment, Piper McLean was literally a fantasy come to life.

Mr Ivanov and Mrs Ivanova had approached her and made all the introductions. Offered her help and took her out for dinner. They practically begged to see her again and after a moment of feigned hesitance, she blushed and demurely agreed. Later when they were back in their fortified mansion, Piper listened via the bugs she had planted to the things they desired to do with her. She rolled her eyes many times. Four months of courting and one night later, Piper concluded that neither of their libidos could keep up with their overactive imaginations. Ivanov had passed out first at which point his wife lovingly mocked his flagging stamina, but with a flick of the wrist and a twist of a finger she too followed him into ecstasy then unconsciousness.

Piper moved from the bed to sit at their desk. Her purse contained all the equipment she needed to decrypt, clone and analyse their hard drives. As she watched the data fly across the computer screen, she remembered the last time she had gotten into a bed with someone else that wasn't for the sake of a job. It was also the last time she had enjoyed herself in bed. Piper McLean was in peak physical condition; there were only a handful of people in the world who could keep up with her. One in particular stood out.

It took an hour before all the data was securely copied and the computer logs were altered to make it appear it had never been on in the first place. With everything back to how it was, Piper moved to the bed and nestled between the couple. They lived a terribly dangerous life yet seemed completely in love with each other. Piper wondered what that was like.

Rising with them the following morning, she sated their fresh ardour and left. Her plan was, so far, going according to schedule. Piper had booked a hotel room two streets away, where her equipment was waiting for her as well as a hot shower. She walked down the street and through the reception. There must have been hundreds of people yet no one had seen her. She had long ago perfected the art of moving unseen. Piper rode the elevator to the thirteenth floor and entered her room.

None of her traps had been set off and Piper relaxed. Stripping down, she stood under the almost scalding hot water whilst going over her preparations once again. The Spider was at the heart of the Russian government. Piper had been seeing references to them for several months in various different situations. And she had known about this shadowy figure for even longer. Finally she had been able to come looking for the person at the heart of a vast network.

Contrary to the Ivanov's, Piper knew nothing about this person. There was no data to be found. Whoever they were, they too knew how to remain hidden. Piper moved to her room, dripping wet but made no move to towel off. She insisted that letting herself dry naturally was the reason her skin was so soft. Anyone who was lucky enough to witness this never thought to complain. Eventually she stood in front of the mirror, fully dressed and looking as professional as anyone would expect from a government official. There was an ID badge clipped to her waist that would get her inside the Kremlin but after that she would have to improvise; it was what she did best.

 

A taxi brought her to the centre of government for the entirety of Russian Federation. Moving towards the doors, Piper imitated the others around her in poise and scanned her ID before walking through the doors. She made her way to the East Wing which allowed her to access the administration department. The last time she had infiltrated the Kremlin, Piper had found her way into the deep archives. Everything had long since been electronically copied but the records would never be thrown away. The result was a staging post that was very unlikely to be disturbed by anyone.

Piper stowed away her gear and once again changed clothes. Thankfully, things in the Kremlin were very slow to change. The uniform of the janitors now was the same as it was six years ago. Piper transformed from a young and eager junior agent of short height to a wizened old janitor who was almost tall enough to be conspicuous. Three minutes after she walked in, he walked out with a cart of cleaning supplies.

"Excuse me madam. Very sorry sir", Piper mumbled as she purposefully knocked into people whilst making it look accidental. Everyone she came into contact with ignored her as if she was beneath their notice. And everyone she came into contact with lost their ID badge. As she turned another corner, Piper walked straight into a military uniform. She instantly recognised it as belonging to one of the highest-ranking generals in the country: General Dmitri Petrovich. There were rumours throughout the upper echelon of Russian military that the general had his own secret death squads.

Piper knew the rumours to be true; she had infiltrated them once.

The janitor bowed and apologised profusely to the general whilst pocketing his ID.  
"Forgive me general. I was careless". Unlike the others, Dmitri did not move on. Instead he focussed his gaze on Piper who stood very still.  
"I have never seen you here before grandfather", he said in a calm soothing voice that had ordered the deaths of many innocent people. Piper kept her gaze low.  
"I have worked here for many years sir". Which was technically true. If the general were to run her ID badge then an entire profile would pop up courtesy of Overwatch. They had given her a deep cover that would hold up to the most intense scrutiny the Russians could bring to bear.  
"Look at me grandfather". Dmitri's voice was insistent; he knew something was off. He could feel it. Piper met his gaze as she had once before. She prayed that this time it would end differently. Dmitri stared into her eyes with the fierce will that had dragged him up the Russian chain of command. She hoped he would let her go as she really did not want to kill him yet. "Have a good day", shocked as she was, Piper nevertheless returned the sentiment and walked away from him. She did not know why he had taken such an interest in her but it didn't bode well.

The rest of the tour was much less stressful. She had collected several ID badges of varying security levels and could now get to work. The Kremlin didn't need to boast about its security. They knew it was one of the best in the world. Unlike what was shown on American TV and movies, the real building was almost impenetrable. It owed this to many different factors. One was the identification system. Every two years a new one was introduced and implemented which possessed superior protocols and encryption than the previous one had. Each one was custom built from the ground up and was impossible to hack.

Piper however did not intend to hack it.

She scanned the many ID's she had lifted into a small computer she had stored in her little base. The computer would analyse the patterns and the encoding to generate a fake ID that she could use to gain access to the highest levels. As she waited, Piper put each stolen badge into its own personally addressed envelope with a little note. There were two currencies inside every government on the planet. Favours and blackmail. And Piper McLean was rich in both.

By the time she had changed identities one last time, the computer had produced a badge with her face on it. Her clothes were form fitting by design. Piper knew how she looked and took full advantage of that. Her body was the least of her many weapons. They would be lucky if that was all she used.

Piper opened the door and stepped out, immediately turning and walking down the hallway. Men and women of every rank stepped out of her way; the authority she exuded was palpable. Piper dropped off her stack of future favours onto a postal boys trolley without missing a beat. Finally she was on her way.

There was a current of excitement running beneath her perfectly composed demeanour. Piper had been waiting for this moment for years. It had been long ago when she had discovered an oddity. A missing piece of the puzzle. It had been another mission, another time. A time where the word Overwatch commanded respect and admiration. A time when she had a team, when she had friends. They had needed intel so she went in and soon she was learning everything she needed to know. Except for one thing. She did not know who was behind it all. The trail stopped cold. There was nothing to learn. She would have liked to investigate it then but there was no time.

Time and again the same oddity cropped up. The trail for the source of the money would suddenly and perfectly vanish. It had become an obsession with Piper. This was her White Whale. She needed to find out who they were. Was it a single person or a group? How had they gained such power and notoriety without drawing any attention to themselves?

Hiding within the Kremlin made a great deal of sense. It would deflect all attention easily and efficiently. But now she was in the heart of the Kremlin and nothing would stop her from finding the Spider.

The ID badge of Irene Demova allowed her to move higher and higher through the building. Sometimes she had to wait to avoid the attention of senior military. Other times she thrust herself forwards to catch the eyes of weak-willed men and women who would do anything for the chance to possess her. None of them ever would. Piper was careful not to rush; she was an expert at manipulating the tides and right now the best course of action was to let it happen peacefully. She arrived at the core of the Russian Government with the ease and anonymity she had desired.

While the rest of the building was sparse and utilitarian, this was a self-enclosed command centre. In the event of a global war, this would be where the Russian counter-attack came from. There were rows of embedded computer terminals each receiving real-time telemetry from around the globe. In front of these computers hung several larger screens showing any and all information deemed of a critical nature to whatever missions were being run at that moment. One screen showed the assassination of a target somewhere in the Middle East. Another showed a live feed of a US Generals office. The room was filled with the buzz of many quiet conversations and the tapping of fingers upon keys. This was the first time Piper had ever deemed it necessary to infiltrate this deep and she was suitably impressed with what she saw.

Irene found an unoccupied terminal at the very back and logged in. While her credentials were impeccable there was no need to draw any attention to herself. With the skill of an experienced intelligence officer, Piper quickly and efficiently parsed through the data before her. Any spy in the world, even Russia's own, would kill to be in the position she was in right now. She had access, directly or indirectly, to every secret the country possessed. But she wasn't interested in extortion, assassinations or black sites. Piper was after something far more desirable.

After ten minutes Piper had made a list of every possible candidate for the Spider and then proceeded to eliminate them all one by one until she had them. A name and address. Mischa the Spider lived ten minutes from her current location. She had him.

Piper was no longer excited and trembling. Now that she was about to meet one of the most dangerous individuals on the planet, she was cool and calm. Ready for anything. Logging out of the terminal, Piper made her way out of the building and into a taxi waiting outside. Piper gave the address to the driver and lapsed into silence. She automatically assessed the driver; young but overweight and suffering from type 2 diabetes but he didn't know it yet. Not a threat. As she sat in the taxi, Piper tried to determine if anything that she knew about Mischa would give her an advantage. By the time they reached the address Piper realised that she, in fact, knew nothing about this person. Even the name was unisex and most likely to be fake.

Paying the driver, Piper stood on the sidewalk and looked up. The address was for an apartment building; the one she wanted was right at the very top. The door gave her no trouble and neither did the lift that was only supposed to open for the penthouse owner. As she rode up the glass elevator, she admired the elegance of the building. Simple opulence without being garish. Clearly the proximity to the Kremlin resulted in many officials staying here, both domestic and international. That explained the extremely competent and hidden security teams she spied. When she reached the top floor, Piper took one last look at the building from the lift. A study in shimmering glass and polished marble. She turned and walked through the doors as they opened, coat fluttering behind her.

The penthouse suite was magnificent. The elevator opened up directly into the main hallway which led to the living area. As she moved forwards, the thick carpet muffling her footfalls, she opened both doors she passed before she reached the wide open space that classed as a lounge. Where typical style would have demanded chic minimalism, this was a home full of softness and colour. Rugs of warm reds and oranges covered the floor and atop them were several upholstered couches of a rich brown. The walls were covered with beautiful pieces of art; grasses and flowers and clear blue skies. The spring to the furniture's summer. Almost in the middle of the room towered a solid slab of black marble, in which, was carved out the hearth. Piper was enchanted by the decor. It was exactly how she would have designed her own place if she were ever sloppy enough to stay in one location long enough.

Piper cleared the entire suite before returning to the lounge. There was no sign of anyone having lived here. There were clothes but they were all new and unworn. The cosmetics in the bathroom were untouched. The bedroom, beautifully decorated in black, silver and purple, had never been slept in. There was no human scent in any of the rooms. At that point, Piper would have bet her life that this was a trap. Almost as if summoned by that thought, the elevator doors opened and out poured five Spetsnaz operatives.

They opened fire at once, spreading out into a standard formation while their fully automatic rifles tracked their target. But Piper had run for cover as soon as the doors opened; all they saw was a figure blur behind the marble fireplace. She drew her firearm as she ran to hunker down behind cover. Piper didn't waste time berating herself; she could do that later. The only thing she had to do now was survive. She positioned herself close to the edge and when she had identified their firing rhythm, Piper peered round and fired. Two bullets but only one found it's target. The other just grazed an arm. It would have put a normal soldier out of commission but Spetsnaz were not normal. Moving to the other side of her cover she waited and did the same thing. This time they had taken cover of their own and none of her shots found its mark.

Piper had limited ammunition and no retreat. She had to do something but there was nothing to be done. There was no gas to the fireplace and no power at all. The more she looked the more obvious it was that this had all been a trap for her. And she had taken the bait eagerly. Piper moved around and fired. One more down, three left.

"Get ready to move". They were now close enough to rush her. Two to one side and one on the other. It wasn't impossible to survive but it was very unlikely. Piper knew she had enough rounds left but she didn't know if she could make use of them in time.

"Now!" Heavy boots sprinted towards her cover and Piper picked a side and covered it. Two soldiers came into view and many things happened at the same time.

Their guns turned to her.  
She knew that the third would be to the other side of her.  
She fired her gun twice.  
She knew that she wasn't going to be able to turn and fire on the last soldier.  
Three bodies hit the floor.

Piper spun wildly and noticed that she was still alive and there was silence. The operative who had come up behind her was dead. One bullet hole in their helmet. She turned and saw a matching hole in the floor-to-ceiling windows that let the light in. There was no time to deliberate though, she needed an exit.

Where there were five Spetsnaz there would be more. The front was not a viable way out. There was no fire escape and no roof access. That left the windows. She banged her fist on the window with the bullet holes in before running to the bedroom for the small chair she had seen earlier. As she ran, Piper heard more shots fired through the window. Someone was looking out for her.

Overwatch

The word sent shivers up and down her spine. She wasn't referring to her former associates but the word itself still carried weight with her. The bullets had weakened the glass and several blows with the chair caused it to shatter outwards. Shards of glass rained down to the ground, hopefully without injuring anyone on the way. Next came the bed sheets. Tearing and tying them together made her feel like a teenager sneaking out of her parent's house. Except with the additional threat of imminent death surrounding her.

More bullets. More glass. This time the window directly below her. Tying off her makeshift rope, Piper shimmied down the ten feet until she was dangling from Egyptian cotton sheets almost thirty stories high. She kicked at the window but her shoes were designed to look good, not shatter glass. Piper kicked them off and tried again.

Cracks spiderwebbed from the point of impact, running towards the bullet holes that had just appeared. Two more kicks that would have felled a lion and Piper was able to pull herself through. Blood ran down her legs but none of it was arterial bleeding so she declared herself fine. The sleeves of her blouse made adequate bandages. This apartment was much less secure; she could tell by the terrified family cowering behind the table.

"My apologies" Piper said as she ran past them towards the front door. Once she was there she knew that her back up, whoever it was, had just lost sight of her. Piper looked for and found the workers staircase before flying down it. In upscale places like these, there was always an access way for the help. There was no trouble as she ran down thirty flights of stairs and when she reached the bottom she found out why. A small heap of dead bodies lay clustered at the ground floor entrance to the worker's access. Each had a single bullet to the head. Piper whipped around, taking in the vantage points and the obstructions to each of them. Whoever it was could practically fire around corners.  
"There aren't many snipers in the world with that kind of skill" she whispered to herself. A pit formed in her stomach.

The worker's access had its ground floor opening at the very back of the lobby. Hidden away in a corner which made the shots impossible for even the most experienced scout. Thankfully though, the only enemies around were the dead ones before her. Piper strode through the lobby, legs bloody and entered the kitchens. They would definitely need to clean up after the mess she had made; there was a trail of scarlet on the pristine white floor.

There was chaos on the other side of the doors. The staff knew the Spetsnaz were in the building and there were reports of gunfire. Everyone was in a panic which was why they didn't notice Piper walking amongst them. Then she was gone. Through another door and if not for the blood on the floor, there would have been no sign she was ever there..

Piper exited the rear of the building and paused for half a second. She closed her eyes and listened. There were sirens coming closer. The standard tone of the police and the subtly different one of the special forces. Most didn't know they were different. There were no pedestrian voices; the area had been cleared out. There was a single engine roaring, a powerful engine and it was coming closer at great speed. She opened her eyes just as the tyres squealed and a bright red car came screeching into the small delivery road behind the apartment building. It shot towards her and slammed on the breaks so it skidded to a stop at her side.

She didn't move. Piper had recognised the driver the moment the car was in view. The posture, the physique, the hair. The precision sniper fire had been a big clue and now she knew she had been right. Behind the wheel of a stolen Ferrari, sat Jason Grace.

"No time for this Pipes, just get in the car!" he barked, anxiously revving the engine. His words brought her back to reality, something he had always been good at. They were being hunted by Russian special forces in the heart of Moscow; they really didn't have time for this. She slid into the car and he was driving backwards out of the delivery road. The tyres burned against the ground as he locked the wheel and spun the car around. Shifting from reverse to first gear Jason shot forwards and raced away from the approaching police cars.

"May I ask what exactly you're doing pissing off the Russians?" Jason adopted a gentle and curious tone as if he wasn't weaving in and out of cars on a Russian highway. Piper watched him. She had been watching him since she got into the Ferrari. He looked older than before, but not in a bad way. Whereas before he would keep himself neat and tide, Jason was now casually dishevelled. Short stubble across his jaw, hair longer than he usually kept it. It suited him.

Piper turned to face the front but still she did not speak because there were no words. The mission going sideways, walking into what was blatantly a trap, a mystery sniper who turned out to be her ex. All of these things had robbed her of any response that might have been, appropriate or otherwise. So she just sat there, admiring the car for its soft leather seats and the power she could feel coming from the engine. It handled amazingly well considering it was Jason who was driving it.

Jason veered sharply through the smallest gap and onto the other side of the highway, right into oncoming traffic. Yet Piper didn't so much as flinch. As if she was sitting calmly on a bus, she gazed out of the window as horns blared and brakes squealed while they tore forwards. The majority of the police cruisers had stayed in the correct lanes but a single unmarked car had followed them through the barricade. That this car was managing to keep up with a Ferrari was enough to know that it and it's driver were to be taken seriously.

A part of Piper noted with amusement that Jason was still waiting for an answer. He could wait as long as he wanted but he wasn't getting an answer. But there were some things that she needed to know.  
"Why are you here?" she queried without looking at him directly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him open his mouth, pause then answer.  
"Long story short, Chiron got visited by a hit squad and they failed to kill him. At the same time Annabeth and myself were also targeted. Overwatch has been recalled and the few of us who turned up are tasked with retrieving the rest. Annabeth has gone after Leo. Frank after Hazel. Nico and Reyna are already back in the game somehow".

Once again Piper was subject to an information overload however this time she was far more prepared. Her stomach had twisted in the half second between learning that Chiron had been attacked and hearing he was safe. She was relieved that Annabeth and Percy were both OK. Because Piper knew that Percy was with his wife and if he had died then Jason would not be here with her. He would be wreaking bloody vengeance on all those involved.

"Who attacked Chiron? Who knew he was there? Who knows enough about Overwatch to plan attacks on former members with such accuracy?" Piper's mind was now fully engaged and was ploughing through all possibilities faster than the car they were in.  
"We were betrayed" Jason said in a dispassionate voice. Piper turned towards him in the faint hope that he was lying. He wasn't.

She slumped backwards in her seat. Piper had known that it was a possibility. But it was Overwatch. They were founded on loyalty. She had truly believed that they were truly loyal to each other. That belief, just like every other naive notion she had ever held, was gone.  
"Who?"  
"Luke".

Luke Castellan. One of the founding members. A pillar of Overwatch. A leader. The next in command. One of the very best of them turned to the very worst. Piper didn't grow cold with the revelation, she just grew numb.  
"Let me out" she muttered quietly.  
"What?" Piper couldn't tell if he was shocked or if he genuinely didn't hear her.  
"Let me out" this time she spoke with perfect enunciation.  
"I don't know if you've noticed but we are in fact in a high-speed chase". As if to punctuate his words, a police car came shooting towards them as they continued to drive on the wrong side of the road. Jason turned the wheel and tapped the brakes. They skidded around the oncoming car and several innocent commuters had to swerve to avoid him before they roared off past the police. Jason turned off at the next exit, taking them back onto the city streets.

"That and we need to get back to Long Island" he argued as if they hadn't just almost died in a fiery crash.  
"I'm not going back. I'm not Overwatch". Jason fell silent, angry or hurt she didn't know. Frankly she didn't care.  
"We were recalled Piper. Overwatch went down. It's our job to build it back up"  
"No it's not my job. I'm done with it all. If Overwatch is being targeted then I have no burning desire to get in the way".

They were both silent as Jason skillfully evaded those who would catch them. If anyone could blend in whilst driving a bright red supercar, Piper mused, it was him. When the last siren had faded into the distance, having gone in the wrong direction, the two ditched the car and walked the rest of the way back to the safe house. Still neither had said a word.

Piper walked through the door and Jason closed it behind him. He followed her up to the main quarters.  
"Get your stuff together. We leave as soon as we can". Piper didn't even bother turning around.  
"I told you I'm out".  
"Well you can explain that to Chiron yourself. I was given an order to bring you in and I'm going to do it".  
"You can fucking try!".

Piper's patience had officially run out. She spun around to face Jason; hair fanning out as she took up a combative stance. This day had been a literal clusterfuck from the beginning and she'd had enough. Jason knew that even though her fists were clenched it would take her no time at all for her to draw and fire one of the three guns she was carrying. He didn't move a muscle.

"I am going nowhere with you, you sonofabitch!" Piper spat at him, composure slipping for the first time in five years. "Chiron must have sent you after me as a joke! I'm not going to follow you. I didn't before and I'm not going to now!"

Jason flinched at her words as if they were blades she had thrown and Piper felt a vicious satisfaction. She stepped closer to him, a predator moving for the kill.  
"It must have been so fun for you. Spending these last five years alone whilst Percy was in bed with his wife. Knowing it was your fault that you had nothing!" Jason's body had tensed when she mentioned Percy but he still blocked the strike she aimed at his face.

One punch to the face followed by one to the stomach; Jason had trained with her enough to know it was coming. Which was why the kick to his chest sent him flying backwards. His body collided with the table behind him and he collapsed to his knees but his head whipped up, glaring at the woman advancing on him. Jason climbed back to his feet and squared his own stance. Her blows rained down on him. Jason dodged where he could, blocked when he couldn't and, more often than not, took the strikes and the pain that followed.

But he didn't retreat; Piper hated him for that. She was one of the most dangerous people in the world. The finest intelligence operative known. In her career, Piper had leveraged presidents and blackmailed governments. But Jason Grace would not back down. So she hit him harder.

There was no elegance in her fighting style. Piper had mastered the most brutally effective techniques she could. Ways to inflict pain, injury and death. Combat was a last resort in her line of work but when it needed to be done it needed to be done quickly. There was no time for classic martial arts, she had once told Percy. A small part of her still enjoyed picturing his reaction. Jason received the full force of her attack amplified by the years of hatred and grief she did not know she carried.

Piper did not know how much time had passed when she couldn't raise her arms anymore. They hung, leaden, at her sides as she gasped for breath like never before. Her panting was the only sound- no. Piper let her eyes close and listened hard.

Plink. Plink. Plink.

Something was dripping. Something nearby.

It took her exhausted body and empty mind far too long to pinpoint the source of the noise. Her gaze drifted to her fists, still clenched, and the blood that gathered on her knuckles. Piper watched as a bead of scarlet formed on the tip of her middle knuckle. It was a perfect teardrop, the colour so vibrant against the stark grey of the rest of the world. She watched as it grew bigger and bigger until finally, it split from her hand. This minuscule drop of blood under the influence of the entire planet beneath it. Being pulled faster and faster towards its inevitable destruction.

Plink.

She turned her head back to him. Her neck ached and she rolled her shoulders instinctively. Pain lanced through her entire body. Piper had truly lost control of herself and Jason had borne it all silently. Just as he stood there now, arms long since lowered to his sides, watching her.

He was broken and bruised and bloody and if Piper could have felt anything in that moment, it would have been regret. But she couldn't. So she didn't. There was no anger in his gaze. No blame or judgement. There was just Jason as he had always been. Solid and dependable. Immovable. The one who wouldn't leave your side. Whether you wanted him there or not.

Piper turned from him and moved towards the bathroom. She needed to wash the blood off. "I told you, I'm not going. Leave me alone". She knew as she closed the door behind her that he wouldn't.

***

When he heard the lock click, Jason stumbled and once again fell to his knees. He couldn't remember the last time he had taken a beating like that. He wondered if he ever had taken one like that. The anger, the rage behind each blow was staggering. He didn't know why he had just stood there.

As he lied to himself, Jason tried to stand. When that failed he pulled himself up into a chair and sagged back. He held his hands out in front of him as the sound of the shower reached his ears. Immediately his heart rate began to drop and his breathing evened out. Even the pain he was feeling began to subside a little. The sound of a running shower had a visceral effect upon him.

Piper loved to shower. She had loved to swim. She simply loved the water. In a different life, he had associated the sound with happiness and peace. It seems some remnant of it still lingered deep inside of him. Or maybe it was just the sound of her showering. God knows Jason never felt like this when he showered. As he sat there, listening to the water, Jason tried to think past the pain and loneliness and the anger. He didn't know what to do.

That was another lie. He knew what to do. He knew he would do it. Jason just didn't want to.

The shower turned off. A memory resurfaced from the depths of his mind. A shower stopping and Piper appearing. Dripping wet and gloriously naked. His gaze would caress every inch of her; she loved the attention from him. Piper would walk over and sit on his lap and together they would waste the next few hours.

Reality intruded and Jason leaned forwards to rest his arms on his knees, dropping his head to look at the floor. She would not appreciate him watching. Those times were over. When he sensed that she was dressed he sat back up and waited. Piper stood on the other side of the room as if the distance would stop her from tearing into him again.

Her hair was wet. It hung down in strands that were each a different shade of brown. Her skin gleamed not just from the hot shower but from her. And her eyes. Those eyes that watched him seemed green. But he remembered when he would have sworn they were blue or brown. She delighted in never telling him their actual colour. The clothes she had donned were a far cry from her earlier wear. The outfit one would wear to infiltrate the Kremlin were not exactly suitable for high-speed combat situations. Gone was the pencil skirt and the blouse. Piper stood there in combat boots, camo pants and a t-shirt. She looked like a soldier.

"Don't get your hopes up. These are practical clothes, not a subconscious cry for you to take me back to the Big House". Jason shook his head.  
"I don't know what to say Piper. I have orders to take you and you don't want to go. If you want me to stop then you have to take it up with him". She glared at him, knowing it was a play. She had loved Chiron, as they all had. He would ask her to return and she would agree. Which was why she'd never make that call.  
"Don't try to manipulate me Grace. You don't have the brain power".  
"You're right. You were always the smart one".  
"It's not hard next to you".

Jason said nothing but he rocked his chair back on two legs. When her eye twitched at the sight he had to force himself not to laugh. But he did feel better for it.

The moment, however, passed. Partially because of the looming question of 'what happens now?' And partially because the front door was broken down.

***

It had been five years since they had worked together but the instincts borne of true familiarity had not faded. Jason jumped to his feet and scooped up Piper's handguns which lay on the table. He passed them straight into her hands which were stretched out back waiting to receive them all while they both ran towards the door.  
"Clear the building!" came the bark of Russian order from the floor below. "Kill everyone! No survivors!" There were at least ten operatives already in the former safehouse with more pouring through the door. Piper looked down the stairs at the group and immediately turned back towards the room. Jason moved with her, accepting her decision without question. He closed the door quietly behind them and engaged the locks.

Normal townhouses in this area had pathetic internal security, choosing to rely on external security firms. That wasn't an option for this one. The walls had been lined with steel and the door frames and doors were solid titanium. Once it was locked it would take an army to open it. Unfortunately there seemed to be one on the floor below.

With the only way in or out sealed, Piper and Jason looked at each other.  
"This is the fourth-"  
"Fifth" Jason interrupted. "Bogota"  
"Oh yeah. This is the fifth time we've been in a situation where we have both known we are going to die". Piper reloaded her guns and strode over to the table to flip it over for cover. Crouching behind it she aimed at the door. "Here's to the sixth". Jason picked up his own weaponry and joined her behind the table but at the end furthest from the door. He preferred working from a distance and right now he'd take what he could get.

Boots on the stairs. Door handles rattling. Gunfire. Cursing.  
"They're in here!"

A rush followed as they brought up, what Piper and Jason could only assume, was siege weaponry. And the Spetznaz didn't use battering rams. A metal click sounded.  
"That's a plasma cutter" Jason announced. "It will cut through the door in about three minutes". Almost as if waiting for him to finish, a bright spot of light appeared in the bottom corner of the door before working its way across.

They had nothing to do but wait as the arc of superheated plasma burned its path on their retinas. Across the bottom, up one side, across the top and finally back down to where it started before vanishing. The room became darker as the edges of the door glowed red from the heat. Despite the fact that it was now fully cut away from the rest of the door, it was still a heavy slab of metal.  
"Affix the suction cups and get it out!"  
"No!" cried a second soldier. "Just kick it down!" Several heavy boots slammed into the door and slowly, then all at once, it toppled into the room.

Piper got the first two shots off. Two operatives went down before they had taken a step. Jason followed up, assault rifle butted up against his shoulder and fired off a concentrated burst. Two more bodies fell. Judging by the chaos outside it was clear that none of them expected them to fight back let alone possess weaponry. Someone had let them walk into a fight unawares and they were paying the price.

The former Overwatch operatives worked together flawlessly. Covering each other as if it was second nature and counting every shot fired so neither had to call out reloads. But these were Spetsnaz after all. Every bullet they fired thudded into the thick wooden table close to where there heads were. It was already starting to come apart from the damage. Whenever Piper and Jason ducked down, the soldiers would fire every bullet into the table. When they had no cover left they would die. Unless they-

"You fools! Fill that room with grenades!" Piper and Jason exchanged worrying looks and placed their palms flat against the table. With all their strength they pushed hard. The table began to slide across the floor towards the doorway. It would not cover the whole thing but it would block half and allow them to fire over it. Bad as it was, it was the only plan they had. The table scraped and squealed until it hit the fallen door and stopped dead. Both of their faces turned pale; they had forgotten about the door. The plan would not work. This time they were actually going to die.

Both stood up fully from behind cover. They would die on their feet, that much was certain. They aimed down their guns and found nothing... A great many dead bodies but nothing that needed killing. For the moment, they weren't about to die. Just as they were about to move from behind the table they heard footsteps. Both immediately brought their weapons up, fingers on the triggers. Step by slow step the person came closer. Then they appeared in the doorway, standing there as if at a garden party.

"Reyna?!? What the hell are you doing here?!?" Jason blurted out.

Piper was in shock. Standing in front of her was the last person she ever thought she would see. Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano was an Overwatch Reaper. Known for being a preternaturally gifted warrior and a one-woman army. She and her partner, Nico di Angelo, worked in the grey area that most people and governments preferred not to acknowledge. She leaned against the doorframe, dressed head to toe in black carrying only a single pistol and a knife. Reyna claimed weaponry only slowed her down. No one disbelieved her.

"I am here saving your lives" she stated. The fact they could hear her natural accent was proof of how relaxed she was. Piper had always been struck by Reyna's beauty. She was of medium height with beautiful dark skin. Her black hair framed her face when it wasn't pulled back tight and her eyes always sent chills through her body. She was as graceful as she was intimidating.  
"So if you are done freaking out and mentally stripping me then we should probably go". Jason snorted and Piper blushed slightly as they moved out from behind the table. He picked up the bag he had brought but Piper had nothing she wanted to take with her.

Reyna moved away, heading down the stairs while Piper followed and Jason took the rear position. Piper's eyes were glued to Reyna's form. As embarrassing as it was to recall it, Reyna and Piper had once been at odds for Jason. She had been his ex and wanted him back. It was a good thing for Piper that it had never come to physical violence. Maybe Percy or Annabeth could have taken Reyna but Piper, skilled as she was, had no chance against the Reaper. Piper had come to terms with this fact but a reminder never hurt and Reyna was kind enough to provide one.

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, three soldiers ran through the front door. The trio had no warning but from Piper and Jason's viewpoint, it appeared that these three operatives burst through the entryway and tripped over their own feet. They went tumbling down before coming to a rest a few feet away. Three dead bodies. Neither one of them had seen Reyna draw her weapon, fire and re-holster. The only sign she did anything were the three bullet holes, one in the middle of each of their foreheads.

She didn't even break her stride.

They hurried after her as they left the house and walked down the street. The presence of the Russian military had cleared out any pedestrians. Curtains were closed and lights were off. No one wanted to see or be seen. All three kept looking around, waiting for more soldiers to appear but for now it seemed they were in the clear. Reyna stopped at a simple black Mercedes and turned to face them both.  
"Long story short, you're both coming back with me to Long Island. Yes you too Piper," Reyna said as the spy made to interrupt. "Make your peace with that fact". The Reaper got behind the wheel and Jason watched as Piper, struggling with herself, eventually opened the door and took the seat behind the driver. Jason walked around to the passenger seat. The moment he was in, the car pulled away smoothly.

"Where are we headed?" Jason asked after a few minutes of silence.  
"Thanks to the little display you two put on and an anonymous tip from someone, The Russian government knows they had foreign agents inside Moscow. We are heading to one of my safehouses. It's completely separate from Overwatch so it should be secure. We can rest up there while my contacts get us all fresh papers out of here. Try not to tear each others heads off. Or clothes", she added.

Piper sat in the back, eyes flickering between Reyna and Jason. In one day the past had come rushing back. Overwatch was making noise again, she thought. Someone is trying to take us out. Piper didn't realise that, for all her reluctance in returning, she had already started including herself under the Overwatch banner. Something big was going on and she was getting dragged back into it.

The hours passed as they drove out of Moscow and Reyna took them to a single story cottage in a small rural area. It looked as cliche as it could be. Thatched roof with stone walls. Boxed windows and lots of plants. Reyna parked up under a thick copse of trees next to the cottage and got out. Despite the long drive she seemed as fresh and as loose as if she had been jogging.  
"Anonymity is the best defence", she said by way of explanation. "No one knows this exists so we should be safe for a few days at least". As they walked into the cottage, it became obvious that this was a rarely used safehouse. It was the layer of dust as well as the sparse decorating. There was a small kitchen equipped with a table and chairs to the left of the main door. To the right was a stone cold hearth and a single sofa and chair. The ground was covered with cheap wooden flooring and there was a single door leading away. Presumably to the bedroom and bathroom.

"We won't be using the fireplace and it is going to get cold. Get used to the idea of huddling for warmth because, for the next few days, we are going to be sharing the bed".

True to her word, Reyna had not allowed them any visible forms of heat. Not that they insisted. Jason and Piper were both former military and both knew that sacrifices had to be made. But wisdom was no comfort when the temperature began plummeting. The windows were old and did not hold any heat in but Reyna pulled several blankets out of a small cupboard and piled them on the bed before getting undressed. Jason and Piper watched, bemused, as she stripped off everything except her underwear. Piper sighed in appreciation. Reyna was sensuously curved and wonderfully strong. She was a weapon and a part of her was jealous that Jason had once intimately appreciated that body.

Reyna met each of their gazes.  
"We didn't all pack our PJ's". They both turned to look at Jason who was indeed wearing a pair of pyjama bottoms.  
"Hey I came prepared", he defended himself.  
"Fucking boyscout". Piper snorted at the comment as Reyna proceeded to climb under the blankets and then rolled onto her side, facing the middle of the bed. Jason and Piper looked at each other.  
"Oh please", Jason rolled his eyes. "Just get in". Piper scowled at him but undressed all the same. Down to her underwear as Reyna had done and this time Jason looked away.  
"I don't know why you bother. You've seen it all before" Piper pointed out. 'Done a lot more than seen' she added silently. But despite her logic, Jason kept his eyes away until she too had climbed into the bed.

It wasn't the biggest of beds and with the three of them in it, space would be at a premium. Piper was as close as she dared get to Reyna. Close enough to feel the heat radiating from her skin. She looked to be asleep already but Piper knew that wasn't true. Part of her wanted to lay down face to face, chest to chest. Another part wanted to roll over and back away. But then Jason got in bed behind her and she suddenly found herself shunted closer to Reyna as his chest made contact with her back.

As hot as Reyna was, Jason was an inferno. Piper suddenly remembered how in times gone by, they had never needed a blanket. Not even in the winter. She would wrap herself around his body and they would be fine. She also remembered the caress of his fingers and the feel of his skin.

In the morning the anger and bitterness and pain would return. In the morning they would face the global conspiracies afoot. But for now, she was trapped between two of the most gorgeous people she had ever known. One beautiful body in front of her and one behind. Jason sighed, already unconscious, and slipped his arm around her waist. The sensation caused her to shudder even as her eyelids grew heavy. The last thing she heard before falling asleep was Reyna's voice.  
"Easy girl, keep it in your panties".

Piper was slow to wake the next morning. It only ever happened when she slept somewhere she deemed safe. As she yawned and attempted to burrow deeper into the softness of her pillow, the memories of the night before came back. If there was ever a safe place it would be between Jason Grace and Reyna Ramirez. She had not felt this relaxed in a long time and she refused to question why. The answers would only force her to leave the comfort behind. But she was a consummate spy. Her mind had been collecting information from the moment it woke up and was now ready to deliver its report.

It was later in the day than she normally slept.  
Reyna was no longer in the room.  
She was not lying on a pillow.  
She was intertwined with Jason.

Piper was immediately awake. Every sensation became magnified by her focus. The comfortable warmth washed over her as, against her will, her fingers stroked his skin. Jason sighed beneath her touch and he shifted slightly; he too was now awake. Despite that, Piper stayed where she was, reminiscing about the last time when she had been truly happy. Then she remembered what happened next and her body returned to the icy hardness that had been the default setting for the last five years.

Jason's sigh was altogether different this time. Guilt and sorrow and self-loathing conveyed through a gentle exhalation of air. His arm fell from around her back and he stayed still as Piper pulled away. She sat up and made her way into the small water closet before slamming the door shut. By the time she had finished her morning ablutions, Jason had dressed and left. Piper ignored the perfectly made bed as she walked out into the main room of the cottage.

Neither were in the kitchen so Piper helped herself to the small bowl of fruit before wrapping herself in a coat and heading out. The day was getting warmer but she did not want to risk the weather turning and drenching her. She had no spare clothes. Piper walked around, observing and cataloguing everything she could see.

The copse of trees that hid the car had four old oak trees planted in a perfect square. The land rolled for miles around, providing cover to any who wanted to sneak up. She could hear that there was a river nearby. Piper continued to walk in an ever-increasing spiral around the property until she came upon a wooded area. Gnarled trees that looked older than Russia itself erupted from the ground. Rising tall and proud until they canopied almost forty feet from the ground. From the depths came the rhythmic chopping of wood and the low tone of a hushed conversation. Piper followed them both.

It became immediately darker, and hence colder, once she was under the trees and Piper was immensely grateful for the coat. She pushed her hands deeper into her pockets then pulled the coat closer to her body as she walked on.  
"What I don't understand is why now?" That was Jason's voice and Piper focussed very hard on not wanting to hurt him. "What has changed to make this whole plan suddenly viable. You don't try to take out someone like Chiron unless you have something big in the works".

The swish of an axe and the thud as it split a cord of wood followed his sentence. Piper stayed where she was, old habits of secrecy and espionage overriding notions of trust and honesty.  
"It could be random", Reyna's voice filled the air. "They could have just decided now was the right time to get on with things. Or perhaps, given that we don't know who they are, what they are doing, why they are doing it and how they are going to go about doing what they are doing, there may be a reason that we don't know yet".  
"I forgot how much of an ass you can be" Jason snorted half a second before grunting in pain. Piper assumed Reyna had hit him with something. Her assumption was correct.

"My point is, there is a lot we don't know. There might even be a lot we do know but we are divided and so is the knowledge. Which is why we all have to get back to Long Island as soon as possible. Understand Piper?" The spy shook her head as she moved into plain sight. She could avoid being seen by cameras but Reyna was never fooled. Piper faced both of them, without any guilt about having tried to listen in.  
"I do understand but I'm still not going". Reyna lowered to axehead to the ground and rested on its handle.  
"You are going because that is what needs to happen. We are going to need your skills. So what reasons do you have exactly for sticking this one out?"  
"It isn't my fight", Piper declared as she stared Reyna down. Jason had shifted away to the side, content to just watch.  
"And why exactly do you think those soldiers were shooting at you McLean? You've been gunning for this Spider for months and yet within days of an attack on former Overwatch personnel, you get attacked for the first time in this investigation. What does that tell you?" Piper stayed silent which was good since Reyna had no intention of letting her speak. "It means they were sent by the same people who tried to wipe out Chiron and everyone else. So it is your problem Beauty Queen and you are coming back with us as soon as we can get out of here".

The weather was cold but the atmosphere was icy as Piper glared at Reyna who stared right back. A small smirk formed at the corner of the Reapers mouth as if she wanted Piper to try something. But she wasn't that stupid. Piper turned around and walked back to the cottage as Reyna resumed chopping wood for a fire they would never start. Jason just turned around and walked away from both of them. After five years alone, he had reached his limit for social interaction.


	6. You Can't Handle the Truth

Frank sat back in a cafe and drank his iced tea. It was cold and sweet and perfect. He was in a cafe in Lafayette, one that looked out over the city park. The weather was amazing. A warm breeze blew across his face while the sun shone down through the gaps between the clouds. The awning of the cafe shielded him from the glare but it was still hot enough that Frank had forgone his jacket that morning and rolled up his sleeves. Those were, however, the only concessions to the weather he had made. His grey fatigues and black combat boots would always be a part of his outfit regardless of the temperature.

Franks eyes moved over the park and conducted yet another threat assessment before turning his gaze upon the woman who sat opposite him. She was shorter than him, as most people were, but he would never consider her harmless. Maria Cortez was his second in command from his time before Overwatch. They had handled some very dangerous deployments together and pulled each other through time after time. Outside of the military they were old friends. Maria had asked Frank to give her away at her wedding.

"It's good to see you again Major" Frank said with a nod. Maria rolled her eyes and lightly kicked him under the table.  
"Neither of us is military anymore so how about we go back to using our first names?" She grinned at him until he smiled back.  
"Fine. How is Danielle? Haven't seen either of you in so long". The last time Frank had seen his friend and her wife had been a couple of years before the fall. They had been thinking about adopting.  
"She's a pain in my ass and I'm a pain in hers. So it evens out". The joy in her eyes countered any negativity in her words. Maria was happy. That was all that mattered.  
"And how did the adoption turn out?"  
"We were chosen by a pregnant mother of twins who really liked us. Evelyn Jessica Cortez and Michael Frank Cortez. And yes, we named him after you".

Frank was speechless though he hid it well. At least he thought he did. Maria grinned and shook her head.  
"You don't have to say anything. After everything you did for me there really was no question about it". Frank remained silent for a moment longer, eyes scanning automatically for threats.  
"Still, I am honoured" he said when he could be sure of his voice not breaking. They shared a look of friendship and family.

"As nice as it is to see and talk to you again, you're not one to arrange a meet just to catch up. What's going on? What do you need?" At another time, Frank would have pretended to be offended but there was just no time to spare.  
"Hazel is in the wind. Chasing something big and I cannot find her. Normally that is not a thing but the timeline has changed and I need to get her back". Maria looked into his eyes, a small frown marring her beautiful features.  
"I haven't seen or heard anything from her".  
"Well it's Hazel. You wouldn't" Frank wasn't trying to brag. Hazel was simply that good.  
"No Frank, I know how to find her. She leaves behind a calling card. She may be sweet and cuddly and all but she's still a hacker and they all have signatures. Ever since I figured hers out I set up a permanent search. No hits yet but I'll keep you updated if I get anything". Frank was shocked. No one had ever been able to track Hazel but now one of his oldest friends could. He made a note to tell Hazel about it when he saw her again. But right now he needed to use whatever he could to find her.  
"Thank you. I really appreciate that. Whatever is going on, it's big enough to worry her".  
"It's worrying me too. How do I protect my family Frank?"  
"When I know, you'll know. Hazel is one of our best chances at finding out what is about to happen and I need to know if you have any intel I can use".

When Maria had said that she was no longer in the military she was speaking the truth. Her keen insight and uncanny intuition had led to her being headhunted by Canadian Intelligence. She was currently seconded to the CIA in New Orleans meaning Lafayette was the closest Frank was willing to get.

Overwatch and the Agency had never gotten along.

"We haven't heard anything about any new players in the game. A few of the classics,some up-and-comers and chaos in the economical side of things but nothing major. Obviously we looked into the France blackout".  
"What blackout?"  
"Are you serious?"  
"I've been tracking down my girlfriend. Haven't been paying attention to the news. Fill me in". Maria sighed.  
"A few days ago the entirety of France went dark. The only power they didn't lose is what came in from other countries. But every power plant inside French borders went offline at the same moment". Frank narrowed his eyes and Maria nodded, already aware of his thoughts. "They assumed terrorist attack and went on high alert but yesterday then found a simple glitch in the coding. No terrorists but that hasn't stopped the entire world from going over their own plants".  
"Maybe the people were just good enough to not get caught. Means they're dangerous. Might be the reason Hazel went deep". Maria continued to look at Frank, scared not only for her wife and children but for her oldest friend and his partner.  
"Or it could just be a glitch. We've both seen bigger disasters because of simple errors".  
"We both know Hazel isn't paranoid and she's also rarely wrong. If she says something is up I'm likely to believe her". Frank eyed Maria for a second before deciding this was no time to hide information. "What did you hear about an explosion in Long Island?" Her eyes widened a fraction and he knew she had looked into it.

"Gas leak. Read it was some old guys house. We checked it over of course, that close to New York City we had to. But we found nothing wrong". She waited for the other shoe to drop.  
"That old guy was Chiron". Maria gasped. There wasn't a single intelligence officer on Earth who hadn't attempted to track the location of Overwatch's founder.  
"Chiron lived a stones throw away from a Trigger City and you didn't think to tell anyone?" Frank could tell Maria was livid despite her even tone.

A Trigger City was a designation used to identify any city that was of global importance and in which any disasters would quickly escalate tension in the international theatre. A shoot out on the streets of St Asaph, Wales would be met with confusion and sorrow. In Paris, France the outcome would be much more severe.

"He did not blow up his own safehouse", Frank replied bluntly. "He was attacked by a conglomerate of international mercenaries. The kind of people it is your job to stop. But I am not here to appoint blame, Maria", he said as she opened her mouth to protest. "I need to know what is happening".

She sat back and simply looked at him. Assessing the situation.

"We picked up some chatter. Nonsense mostly. Little things in different places. They meant nothing on their own and we had no reason to put them together. But if they were connected then they possibly could hint at a problem".  
"And what kind of things have you been picking up?" Frank inquired. He had been doing his own research into things and needed confirmation.  
"Obviously I can't be handing out classified CIA information to guys on the street. But if I were to be so careless then I would talk about the sudden dearth of any hardware in any real quantities. I would say that a lot of high price players are unavailable for the near future including three PMC's that are known for illegal jobs. I would talk about certain areas suddenly doing an odd amount of business in a very distracting manner".

Frank sat back and listened stoically. Everything she wasn't technically telling him was matching with what he had found out on his own. His military and early Overwatch years had made him many friends and the flow of information between them was a strong as it had ever been. However none of them had told Frank the same thing. Meaning they were either all wrong or they were all right. Thanks to Maria, he knew that it was the latter.

There was something very big in the works and every aspect of it was being handled perfectly. Whoever their enemy was, they were unlike any he had ever fought against before.  
"Thank you Maria. I'll keep you warned if anything big comes up". She returned his nod and relaxed back in her chair. Or rather she sat back and appeared relaxed to anyone who didn't know her.  
"What's going on Frank. I've played ball now it's your turn". He held her gaze for a moment or two before leaning forwards again. The scrambler he had placed under the table would thwart any attempts to electronically eavesdrop but some people still used their ears.

"Someone declared war on Overwatch".  
"Overwatch is gone", Maria immediately replied.  
"Yes. It was". Her eyes widened at the implication; for a CIA agent she had a very expressive face. "In a synchronised attack that spanned the country, the top surviving agents of Overwatch were targeted for elimination. The enemy was well funded, well armed and well trained. These were no backwoods militia. We're talking former Spec Ops from around the globe".

Maria was speechless. Part of her was worried for her friend and what was coming his way, because whatever it was, he was going to charge in head first. But the intelligence officer in her was analysing every word and cross-referencing it with what she knew was going on in the world. When she didn't reply, Frank continued.

"From those encounters we surmised that something big was up and they needed Overwatch, or what was left of us, out of the way. And since we are not good at doing what we are told", he said with a small grin, "we reformed the organisation".

The CIA and Overwatch had a short history but it was fraught with tension. Many times had the Agency warned Overwatch to stay clear of their operations. But Overwatch had held themselves to a higher moral code. Or at least that was what they claimed. Whenever they had gotten wind of a CIA backed coup or assassination, the Watch would step in and try to stop it.

Most of the time they succeeded.

"So Overwatch has returned? Five years after the fall, you've come back?" Maria's voice and face were expressionless. She was in work mode, no doubt about that.

"We are. But as of now we're no threat. We're seven people with no official resources or power"  
"And which seven may I ask?"  
"Chiron, Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Nico, Reyna and myself" he rattled off. "Piper, Hazel and Leo are maybes". Maria broke her calm and ran her fingers through her chestnut hair.

"Are you serious? 'No threat'? The ten you just listed are amongst the fifteen most dangerous individuals on the planet! Jesus Christ, Frank! You can't just decide to get the band back together without telling anyone!" A few people were starting to turn around as Maria forgot to regulate her voice. She held her hand up in apology and took a deep breath.

"Maria I get that you are worried for your family but don't make the mistake of thinking that we report to you". They stared each other down for a few seconds before they both looked away. The tension eased after that. "We didn't start this Maria. We didn't go looking for a fight. They came after us. And we may have been cocky before, but we're still Overwatch".  
"You were Overwatch then remember? When everything came crashing down in fire and death".  
"We know. Trust me we know. But things are going to be different this time".  
"How can you be sure?"  
"Because when the call went out to fight an unknowable enemy with almost unlimited resources whilst being out-manned and out-gunned, we said yes. We're not perfect, hell we're not even a proper team. But we will fight to the last to hold the line".

Maria said nothing, her indignation fading away to leave behind a terrible worry that they would indeed end up fighting to the last. From the sounds of it a war was definitely coming. And the only people standing in the way were disgraced soldiers from a fallen agency that crumbled from the inside. She looked at Frank who was once again scanning the crowd. He never rested when he thought he or his team was in danger. He never stopped when he had an enemy. Frank was the definition of the perfect soldier, and it would get him killed.

Frank stood up and Maria followed suit. They didn't exchange any parting words but rather a simple nod from one comrade to another. Maria turned and walked away; Frank watched until she was out of sight. He was not her commanding officer anymore but it was an old habit that he had no intention of outgrowing. Once she turned the corner he was away, blending into the crowd as easily as breathing. Frank employed every counter-intelligence maneuver he had learned and a few he had invented. But regardless of what he did, Frank could not shake the feeling he was being followed.

It had started as an itch on the back of his neck.

The kind he used to get in the field before bullets started firing; he had only barely suppressed the urge to dive down. Frank had been unable to spot any repeating face, nor anyone who moved like an assassin. So he did the only thing left to do. Take the tail on a merry chase.

 

He had studied the city well enough but it was still his first time here. He would find himself hesitating for a moment before making certain turns. There were certain cities that Frank would never pause before making a turn. Toronto, New York, Johannesburg and a few other cities had hosted Frank for a long enough time that he would never feel lost. He knew which areas were friendly and which weren't and he always knew how to get back to home base. But here he was lost.

Frank moved purely by memory as he navigated the streets. West for two blocks then south down the boulevard before east along the river for a mile. That was the route he needed to take, and at the end of it was a safehouse. It wasn't an Overwatch safehouse in the strictest sense. It had been a former CIA one but once the Agency found out that Overwatch knew about it, the building had been disavowed and abandoned. No agent would ever use it again but no one else on Earth knew about it. As a result, Overwatch gained a new safehouse.

A smile grew across Franks handsome face. It brought all of his features alight to the point that two young women did a double-take and almost tripped over in their attempt to watch him for a moment longer. He had been thinking about the games he and the other Watchers used to play. In their spare time they would casually look for CIA boltholes and then let them know in a not so subtle way that they had been compromised. Once Percy and Jason, when they had been on speaking terms, had bypassed their security and painted the whole interior neon pink.  
By the time of the fall, Overwatch had amassed a healthy list of secondary safehouses. The primary ones were hidden from everyone but any port in a storm.

He continued down the boulevard, making sure to glance in every reflective surface to inspect the people around him. Frank was not a vain man but he could play the part; constantly running his fingers through his black hair and brushing imaginary dirt off of his broad shoulders. He couldn't care less what he looked like but it made him less interesting to casual observers. The three people following him however were not casual.

They followed him at a short distance; one straight behind him with the other two at each side. Based on their clothing, no one would think they were elite combat operatives. The woman was wearing a two piece bikini with flip-flops and was drawing the gaze of nearly every man and woman there. But Frank highly doubted if they were assessing her combat readiness as he was. The two men were wearing shorts and snapbacks, one with a shirt and one without. Their running shoes were more effective than their partners footwear but would not work against his boots. Their sheer lack of basic preparation made it clear that there were other operators in the immediate vicinity, ones who were far better equipped to take him out.

Frank suddenly stopped, appearing to take an interest in the jacket in the nearest shop. He watched out of the corner of his eye as the two men continued past him whilst the woman allowed herself to be brought into conversation by two muscle-bound behemoths who would most likely die horribly if they ever found themselves alone with the object of their lust. But no one else that Frank could see reacted to his abrupt stopping. Everyone else continued on their trajectories.

The area was full of families and friends shopping with each other in the sun. Couples, both young and old, either arguing or enjoying each others company. Little children ran everywhere, energised by ice-cream or chocolate or simple youth. It seemed Frank was alone with these three but he knew that there had to be more. Frank gazed at the jacket as if contemplating buying it but his mind was furiously at work. It was unlikely they knew of the CIA safehouse he was headed to. So it was the closest safe place he had, but he could not go there without losing his tail. So he had to start improvising.

Frank walked away from the jacket and straight into the store opposite. It was a simple convenience store and was full of people stocking up on supplies for the day. There were also two police officers buying bottles of water. Frank moved up to stand next to them and affected a timid and nervous persona. Which wasn't easy as he was much taller and more muscular than them both.  
"Excuse me er...officers?" Frank moderated his voice to sound less threatening but he still had to fight back a smirk when the officers turned around to stare at Franks chest before slowly raising their heads until they were looking him in the eyes.  
"How can we help you?" asked the second officer after they had processed the size of him.  
"I er..." Frank looked over his shoulder as if afraid of being overheard. "I heard those guys out there saying some threatening things to that woman in the red bathing suit. I think she's in danger".

Nothing gets the police moving faster than a beautiful white woman in danger, Frank thought as they rushed out of the store. He didn't spare a moment to see what happened but he heard a great deal of commotion and walked away. The other two wouldn't be stupid enough to try and help their colleague and risk losing Frank but at least now there were two.

He kept a brisk pace down the street. Frank knew the best way to blend would be to affect a slow stroll as everyone else was but his enemy already knew where he was; speed had become more important than stealth.

"What the hell?" Frank was rarely caught by surprise. It was so hard to do that Hazel would take a picture every time it happened. Occasionally she would bring it out and reminisce and they would both spend the day laughing. It was never the big things that caught Frank off guard. No enemy had ever snuck up on him, no building had ever surprised him by coming down and no air strike had ever hit him unawares. It was the little things, like the alleyway he had just spotted. It had been in none of the blueprints or maps of the area. By all rights it shouldn't exist, he had no plans for it. Which is why Frank immediately walked down it.

If he had no idea about it then odds were his trackers didn't either. They would have to scramble all their assets to try and cut him off with no one having any idea where he was going to end up. It had become a real hunt and Frank felt more at home.

Once he was out of sight from the street, Frank ran. Past the dumpsters overflowing with rotting food and other waste. He sprinted through puddles of unidentifiable liquids, trusting in his waterproof military gear to keep his feet and legs clean. But that was a very minor concern. He turned and found himself travelling deeper and deeper into this unknown maze in the centre of the town, but as he moved further he was aware he was heading away from the middle of Lafayette.

Hours later and Frank was deep in the slums. He had figured it out after a few minutes. Hand made shelters out of scrap material and not found on any official map or plan. When a city didn't want to try and fix their poverty problem they simply hid it. Swept the people away to some dark corner and it was there that Frank found himself. Speed was now not an option as there were too many people scattered around. If he moved too fast he would most likely knock over someones home. He tried to find an out of the way area to bed down but every space was claimed. Also the smell was overpowering. In the line of duty, Frank had been in some terrible places but this one may have been the worst. Gather thousands of people in the same area, deny them access to clean clothes and water and the only outcome is dirt and disease.

Frank managed to stumble across a small alcove that had plenty of space for his broad frame. He folded himself into it and sat with his back to the wall, keeping an eye on everyone who walked by. He hadn't heard anything that might be his pursuers but he wasn't going to let his guard drop.

The alcove was the side entrance to a large and burned out building. There were small shanties scattered all around and simple tents pitched in the spaces between. Frank had spent most of the day weaving in and out of people, mercenaries and then Lafayette's best kept secret. The temperature had begun to drop with the onset of night and the Overwatch soldier hadn't realised until he sat down. Breathing deeply to keep his core warm, Frank watched as men, women and children moved around until they reached their respective homes with whatever they had been able to find during the day. This wasn't the first time Frank had witnessed poverty and scavenging but it still angered him.

So much money wasted on pointless endeavours and campaigns when people were starving all over the world. A mass of coats and clothes moved towards the alcove Frank was sheltered in. As it got closer, he could make out a face that belonged to a young woman. There was open fear and worry on her face as Frank raised his arms in the worldwide gesture of 'harmless'.  
"I'm sorry, I didn't realise this was your place. I just needed shelter for the night but I'll leave". He would be unlikely to find another place to rest but he was not going to take this woman's peace of mind from her. As he made to stand up, her hands came out of the pockets and motioned him to sit back down. He did, slowly, when she moved to sit down at the opposite end.

Frank moved away from her but didn't impede his ability to react should he be attacked. The woman did not seem to care; her fear apparently gone. She leaned back against the stone wall and looked towards him.  
"I haven't seen you around here before. You new?" Frank nodded before making eye contact.  
"Yeah just passing through the area. Needed a place to lay low".  
"Well you came to the right place", she replied. "No one comes here unless they have no choice".

They both lapsed into a companionable silence as it got darker and the movements of the people in front of them became less common.  
"Who's looking for you?" She asked him. Frank had already decided not to give the truth. The smallest detail may get her killed.  
"Bookie. I tried investing my pay and it didn't work out well". She nodded simply.  
"Yeah a lot of people here have similar stories".  
"Even you? You seem a little young to have a gambling problem". He meant it as a passing comment but the flicker of emotion across her face had him regretting opening his mouth at all. "I'm sor-"  
"Don't be", she interrupted. "It wasn't money troubles that landed me here. It was family problems. My parents didn't like that their daughter wanted to be their son". Frank sighed.  
"I'm sorry". He shrugged off Frank's apology. Frank couldn't blame him. "What's your name?"  
"Michelle". Based on his facial expression, it was a distasteful yet automatic response.  
"I didn't mean your birth name. I meant your real name".

The young man looked intently at Frank as if trying to detect a trap or trick. After a long moment he relaxed enough to level a small smile at Frank. "Andrew. My name is Andrew".  
"Nice to meet you Andrew". It was hard to tell in the dark but Frank thought his face had lit up at being addressed properly for what maybe the first time in his life. They were silent for another short while before Andrew offered Frank one of his coats.  
"No thanks. I've been in colder places than this and I learnt a few ways to keep surprisingly warm. But I do appreciate the offer".  
"Don't worry about it. When you have nothing, you really learn the value in sharing". Frank nodded in agreement. Time after time he had found that the ones with the least were always the most generous. After a while, Andrew nodded off while Frank remained alert and on watch. Positioning himself correctly, Frank began a series of meditative breathings that would put him in a restful state whilst still being able to be aware of his surroundings. It had taken him years to master it but the result was that he could stay awake all night and be rested and alive for the next day. He couldn't do it every night but for this night it would be perfect.

Six hours later, Andrew woke with the rising sun to find he was alone in his alcove with several hundred dollars in cash rolled neatly in his hand.

 

Frank had managed to make it to the CIA safehouse in the early hours of the morning. The night had been calm. Nothing out of the ordinary for where he was. He had thought he heard some booted feet hitting the ground but nothing came of it and he certainly wasn't going looking for trouble. He managed to make it to the safehouse in the time before dawn and began resupplying.

It was one of the smallest ones Frank had visited. It had been built in the gap between two buildings, a drycleaners and an arcade. For some reason there was a two foot space between them which the Agency had outfitted with a private entrance. The canned food was still edible and all the clothes and weapons were functional so Frank was happy. He had parked his rental car near to where he had been planning on staying before walking to his meeting with Maria. Had everything gone to plan he would have returned to his room and kept on searching for Hazel. And most likely been executed.

They had probably been waiting for him in his room and would have killed him the moment he stepped through the door. The loss of his supplies was a very small price to pay. At least he didn't lose his weapons. Frank had a Desert Eagle tucked down the back of his pants and a knife in his boot. Food and spare clothing was what he gathered from the safehouse before pocketing a few extra magazines of ammunition. He was in and out in less than five minutes.

Ten minutes later he had stolen a car. Frank found a perfectly midrange car and broke into it before silencing the alarm and starting the engine. He knew exactly where he had to go. Clearly the enemy had tracked him here. If he tried to get away from people then there would be fewer civilian casualties when they began shooting. But since they didn't use weaponry the day before, Frank assumed they had been ordered to keep a low profile. For the time being, that was his advantage. He needed to stay close to lots of people while he continued looking for Hazel. Frank sighed as he got onto the highway. He hadn't wanted to stray too close to Agency territory but the presence of the enemy changed his plans.

He read a passing road sign; only 135 miles to New Orleans.

The drive was pleasantly relaxing. Frank would stay in the middle of a group of cars and make sure his licence plate was hidden by them whenever he passed a camera. Occasionally he would double back just to be safe. It wasn't paranoia when he knew someone was actually trying to kill him. All in all it was a very nice drive. But he didn't let it distract him from the fact that he was heading right into a vipers nest. New Orleans was home not only to an office of the Agency, which was definitely not supposed to be, there but also the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. With so many federal agencies and the massive amount of tourism it gets, New Orleans was a trigger city and there was no doubt about that.

Not to mention that by now Maria had most likely made her report concerning what he had told her and the entire CIA would be on high alert. They would be on the lookout for any and all current and former Overwatch members. By now Frank was rolling deep in his justifiable paranoia.

Assuming that this global conspiracy included moles in the CIA and other alphabet agencies then they would share the intel amongst themselves and make sure everyone was looking out for Frank and his team. They had no right to arrest him, so long as they didn't find the gun registered to a defunct operation, but they could make his life difficult until someone came along to finish him. There was only one way to play this and that was by staying as far away from every camera and every law enforcement officer. In a city this size, Frank gave himself about fifteen minutes before he got caught.

He lasted ten.

There was a hidden camera perched right behind the 'Welcome to New Orleans' size and it got his plate and his face. The plate was picked up by an Agency algorithm that was looking for every vehicle that was stolen in a twenty five mile radius of Franks last known position according to Maria. The drone who followed up with that particular computer ping was given a pat on the back before they got back to work. The drone handed off the case to their manager who alerted the local police department to Franks whereabouts with strict instruction to apprehend but not in any way interact with. Ten minutes after Frank passed the city limits, there were flashing lights in his mirror.

"Goddamit" he muttered to himself. Frank knew he would get caught eventually but he was hoping to last a little bit longer before blowing it. He watched as the police officer spoke into his radio before getting out and heading towards him.

Tap tap tap

He rapped his knuckled on the window in what he thought was an intimidating manner but it only made Frank laugh. He had been in the same room as some of the most powerful and terrifying people on the planet. He didn't scare easily. When the glass was down he simply turned and waited before interrupting.  
"Licence and regis-"  
"Officer we both know that regardless of what documents I show you, you have orders to bring me in so shall we skip straight to that step?"

Yes it was rude but Frank was nearing the end of his patience. Enemies were converging around him and he was no closer to finding Hazel. The policeman however looked relieved that Frank knew what was going to happen. He nodded and opened the door for him to get out.  
"Wow. Your file said you were tall but there's a difference between reading and seeing. I'm going to have to search you for weapons".  
"Don't bother. There is a knife in my boot and a gun down my back".  
"Thank you but I'm sure you understand I still have to check".

Frank stayed silent as the officer patted him down before removing his declared weaponry. He was lead to the rear of the squad car before being helped in. They both stayed quiet as they drove deeper into New Orleans.  
"Could you make sure that car gets back to its owner with a report of the theft? It will help with the insurance claim".  
"Er...sure. I can do that". Frank sat back and resumed his silence.

He watched the scenery change as the officer headed towards the centre of the city. He was getting more and more annoyed with every building that passed. He was supposed to be finding Hazel and bringing her in. But now he was caught up in inter-agency politics and had effectively been summoned by the CIA. If he escaped then they would track him down and hold him for much longer than they originally would have done. It was just an infuriating waste of time.

It took about forty minutes for them to reach their destination. It was a very plain and forgettable building that blended in with the offices and shops scattered around the immediate area. When the police car pulled up outside of it, Frank could feel the nonchalance emanating from the edifice. The perfect city office for an agency that wasn't supposed to be here.

The CIA was formed to investigate international matters and as such had no authority within the borders of the United States. However, Frank thought as he walked towards the building, that had never stopped them before.  
The police officer escorted him to the revolving doors and handed over Frank's weaponry before driving away. All the local law enforcement knew who was in there and they all knew not to ask any questions. If a call came for something or someone to be delivered to the door then it was delivered and the driver did not look back. He turned around and headed back in the direction he came in. There was a stolen car to collect and a report to be filed.

 

Frank was met at the door, not by Maria, but by a nameless agent tasked with directing him to a holding room. White walls, grey floors and plain, nondescript furniture. He took a seat at the table that was bolted down in the centre of the room and read the posters around the room. Security. Suspicion. Patriotism. The message was nauseating. Frank was sitting in the chair, back straight, when the door opened and two agents walked in. This time one was Maria; clearly she had been brought into the city for this meeting. The agent with her was an older woman, with greying hair and hard eyes. A high ranking official.

They both sat opposite him, laying their documents on the table. There was no recognition in Maria's eyes. This was not the women who named her son after him. This was the intelligence officer he had never met.  
"My name is Elizabeth Williams and I am the Regional Supervisor. Thank you for agreeing to come here Frank".  
"It's not like I had a choice".  
"We both know that you could have escaped the officer who found you".  
"And then you would have put out the APB for my arrest and after finding me two days later I would have ended up in CIA custody for an unknown amount of time". Franks cold gaze met Elizabeths emotionless one and an awkward silence descended over the room.

Maria cleared her throat to cut the growing tension.  
"Regardless of what might have happened, he's here and we should get on with it". They broke eye contact with Supervisor Williams rifling through her files and Frank aiming the ghost of a smirk at his friend.  
"You are correct Agent Cortez. We are here for a reason". She laid out several pictures on the table that Frank immediately recognised as Chirons house, after it had been attacked. "Are you familiar with these images Mr Zhang?"

Several options ran through Frank's mind. Denial, hostility, stall and acceptance. He chose to stall.  
"Why are you asking me such a question?" He cocked his head to the side as he spoke but maintained eye contact with his interrogator.  
"Does it matter?"  
"Of course it does. You pull me into here for and ask me questions regarding a random set of pictures. I have to assume there is a reason for it all".  
"Perhaps there is a reason but you still haven't answered".  
"Observant aren't you?"

Once again, Frank had let his temper escape him and he tried to calm himself without any physical signs. Someday he wished he could be as good as Williams as her expression had not changed since she had entered the room.

The room had lapsed into silence with both sides evaluating the other. Williams knew she had no proof apart from what her agent had reported. A single uncorroborated account with no way to prove any part of it. The only possible way to discern whether the story was true was for Frank to confirm the house had in fact belonged to Chiron.

Frank however was hell bent against revealing any information to the CIA. He had spoken to Maria out of friendship but he knew as he spoke it was all hearsay until it could be proven. And he knew that Chiron would never have put that house in his own name. It would be untraceable. Frank could only stall but the CIA would hold him for as long as they needed to. And if they needed to, they would make him disappear.

The room went dark.

"That is not a good sign" Frank muttered to himself. The two agents across from him looked around in confusion. He could see their silhouettes against the emergency light that had activated in the upper corner of the room. They had not been expecting anything of this nature and it showed.  
"Agent Cortez. Find out what that is". Maria had just stood up when a shock wave rocked the building knocking her back into her chair.

"Terrorist attack!" Williams spat as she jumped from her seat and drew her weapon. She and Maria moved to cover the door as Frank began to laugh.  
"Against a hidden office of the CIA? I highly doubt it". Frank stood and moved to stand behind Williams at the only entrance to the room. He didn't bother reaching for his weapons as the agency hadn't seen fit to return them.  
"What are you thinking Frank?" Maria asked him as she easily fell into the habits of old soldiers. She had her weapon ready and had her shoulder to the wall, waiting for the signal to move.  
"You're not just going to get a random terrorist attack on a secret CIA installation which takes place on the very day you bring me in". The hulking Canadian soldier stood calmly as he spoke, waiting for the fighting to start.

There was no doubt in Franks mind that this attack was being carried out by the same people who had been trying to kill them. If they have the money and power to gather black ops soldiers from around the globe then infiltrating a government agency would be quite easy. But proving such a thing to Williams would not be as easy. So he would have to avoid that.

"First things first" Frank said as he wrapped one arm around Williams neck and secured her gun with the other. She was a highly trained CIA agent but Frank was equally well trained, eighteen inches taller and weighed more than double her body weight. Forty seconds later she was unconscious and gently laid down under the table.

"Was that really necessary?" Maria asked Frank as he took position by the door, gun in hand.  
"The Agency is in over its head and the fact that you'd never admit that is what would have got us killed. It was very necessary". Frank check the magazine and squared his shoulders. "Eyes up soldier. The mission is simple. Get me to an exit and kill any tangos that get in the way. Once there, you radio in that I've escaped and that should flush every non-mole out of the building and after me".

The worry was plain as day on her face but she also knew the it was the best possible plan. If they stayed here a lot of people would die. She nodded in agreement and, as one, they opened the door and walked shoulder to shoulder into a warzone.

The debris began a few corridors down and became worse and worse as they moved closer to the site of the bomb blast. First it began with posters knocked askew and cracks in the concrete. But soon it had become fallen lights, caved in ceilings and collapsed hallways. And there were people everywhere. Those running around trying to find medical equipment, those moving with the slow gait of the seriously injured and those fleeing as fast as they could. And in their midst, Frank and Maria were moving corner to corner, clearing every corridor before heading down it. Somewhere in the distance they could hear gunshots but no matter how far they walked, the sounds never came any closer.

"There are two options for those shots" Maria declared as she covered Franks advance. "Either some of the moles broke cover and started taking out Agency staff or the bomb acted as a diversion to bring in an external team letting the moles keep their cover". They headed towards the main entrance taking care to remain quiet.  
"There's a third option. Agency firing at Agency because they think each other is a mole". Maria sighed to herself as they weaved in and out of people.  
"Sometimes it's okay not to contribute Frank".

Despite the commotion, no one batted an eye at the two of them as they stalked towards the entrance. Inside of a panicked CIA facility, Frank mused, guns and badges were a sign of reassurance. Eventually they made it to their destination without any violence. Something which pleased Frank. He ran to the reception area and searched until he found his own gun and knife that had been taken from him. He turned to face Maria having left Williams gun on the desk.  
"Alright now just like we planned", he said.

Maria nodded and activated the PA system while using her radio to broadcast on all channels.  
"Attention all personnel. Frank Zhang has escaped the grounds. I repeat, Frank Zhang has escaped the grounds". Within seconds the gunshots were silenced and were replaced by many booted feet running towards them. With a grimace, Frank turned and ran out of the door.

The plain black sedan he had found in the company parking lot had a full tank and handled amazingly. Unfortunately it was so nondescript that everyone knew there was something strange about it. It was so good at blending in that it was bad at it. But it was this or nothing, Frank reminded himself as he turned a corner to head away from the people of New Orleans. The gunfight in the Agency building was bad enough, he sure as hell didn't want to get any innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.

Whoever was hunting him had proven themselves to be ruthless. They would not hesitate to open fire into a crowd if they thought it would bring him down. He flew by, barely glancing at the ever evolving architecture New Orleans was famous for. Passing by a handful of different building styles in less than sixty seconds.

Frank wracked his brain trying to remember anything about this city. Safehouses, bolt holes, caches, anything at all that would help him live out the next few hours but he could recall nothing.

It did not bode well for his survival.

He contemplated hiding amongst the homeless again but immediately discarded the idea. They would not let him go so easily this time. Not when they knew he was so close by. He took more turns at random. Doing anything that could throw them off his trail but he knew it was a stall tactic. Several turns later Frank began noticing that any and all signs of civilisation were rapidly disappearing. With a savage grin, Frank drove faster and headed towards the bayou. It wouldn't take them long to find him as Frank was certain the car he was in would have a tracking device.

He parked the car when he couldn't drive any further. The underbrush was so dense that nothing short of a tank would be able to break through it. Frank got out and ran a hand over his knife and gun just to be sure they were still there. Then, as he desperately searched the Agency car hoping for more ammunition or another weapon, his prayers were answered as he came across a fully loaded P90 in the trunk with extra mags and body armour.  
"And you call us renegades".

Now properly armed and armoured, Frank ran deep into the forestry, chased by the sounds of car engines coming closer. The terrain was uneven and riddled with pitfalls that were hidden by the normal detritus of leaves and broken tree limbs. There were gnarled branches in every direction at every height as the trees grew together. It was the perfect theatre for Frank in that moment. As he barreled his way through it, leaving a very obvious trail, he grinned thinking of the havoc he would wreak if they were stupid to come after him.

Roared orders and the crash of bodies through the trees told him that, yes, they were that stupid. Frank was no fan of gratuitous violence but there was no denying that he enjoyed it when it was called for. Anyone who had known him from his Overwatch days or even his military career could tell that the savage grin on his face meant that Frank believed it was called for.

Hearing movement directly behind him, Frank turned and dropped to a knee. He aimed and fired three times, each bullet dropping an enemy. Immediately return fire shredded the area to pieces but Frank had already moved. He may have been outnumbered and facing some of the most well trained people on Earth, but he was Overwatch. And that meant something again.

Frank ran to outflank them, this time purposefully leaving not a single trace of his passage. It often surprised people how quickly and easily he could move. He had learned early on in his life that just being big wasn't enough. Frank once again knelt down in the dirt and sighted down his weapon. He watched as his hunters walked past him, not five metres away. 'Not the best position' Frank thought, given the laterally moving targets but Frank would make do. Three more bodies dropped and once again Frank was away before they had locked on to his hiding place.

This time vertically.

He had chosen a tree with lots of thick sturdy branches and up he went. When they finally starting firing the debris barely brushed his boots. And when they stopped Frank was almost ten metres in the air watching them from above. Afterwards Frank would freely admit that he got cocky and he deserved it. But as he looked down on his enemy all he felt was a strong disdain for these people who thought they could catch him. He felt proud, until he got shot in the back.

All hope of stealth and evasion was lost as he fell forwards off of his perch. Thankfully his body armour held as he crashed downwards but it still took him a few seconds to draw breath again. He had been shot before but it was not something you could get used to. The branches slowed his descent enough that when he hit the ground he was alert again. Frank immediately dove for cover as the bullets began flying; his hunters had been more interested in watching him fall than shooting at him while he fell.

Hunched over behind a fallen tree, Frank located the soldier who had been up in the trees with him and shot them in the head, all the while still groaning with every breath. The bullets came thick and fast and suddenly, they seemed much better organised than they had been a few moments ago. The suppressed gunfire sounded almost comical with every quiet 'phut' sound signalling pain and death. Thankfully the log he took cover behind was very thick and very dense. Unfortunately it was still wood and it was being destroyed by the bullets.

Frantically Frank looked around. He noticed a small ravine just ahead of him. It was another stall tactic and would give his enemies the high ground, but he was also rapidly running out of time. On his belly, Frank shuffled forwards. Leaves, mud and deadwood all sticking to him like camouflage. He rolled into the ravine and slid down almost twenty feet until he reached the bottom. It was deeper than he expected but also much narrower. If they caught him in here then he was dead.

"Spread out. Alpha team on the right. Beta on the left. Converge on that mark and flush him out". The sounds of gunfire had quieted and were replaced by booted feet moving through the forest floor.

"Ah damn it" Frank mumbled as he moved down the trench. He was still breathing hard and Frank felt at his chest with one palm. Something shifted slightly followed by a wave of pain. He knew he had cracked at least one rib. As he ran, Frank tightened his vest hoping to compress and stabilise the injury. He hurtled down the ravine, embracing the pain of his injury as he followed the sound of water.

"He's not here! Spread out! Find him!"

Their words drove him faster, taking the turns and almost bouncing off of the dirt walls. He wasn't sure how this trench had formed but the walls were tightly packed dirt with roots digging out here and there; it was just wide enough for him to touch both sides if he stretched his arms. It twisted and turned like a snake as he ran, hiding him from their sight but should they find him then he was dead. There was nowhere for him to take cover.

Luckily it started to become shallower before letting him out near the riverbank. A slow moving river with bits of driftwood floating on it was no deterrent to the people chasing him, but Frank was steadily running out of options. The longer this game of cat and mouse went on, the more likely he was to get tired and make a mistake. Make another mistake. And that one might cost him his life.

With his weapon held high, Frank forded the river at an angle. The current wasn't strong enough to pull him off course, but he did not want anyone picking up any sort of suspicious noise. He knew it would only be a matter of time before they crossed the river as well but every second they didn't was good for him.

The other side of the river was identical to the first. A mixture of green and brown and wetness. Frank had been filthy enough before he stepped into the muddy water but now every inch of him was dirty and he was soaking wet from the waist down. He moved deeper into the forest, hoping to get ahead of the search for him. But eventually they would send air support and put more boots on the ground. Whoever they were they really wanted him dead, and if Frank wasn't careful then they'd get their wish.

He kept going further away from the river. Frank had no map and no intelligence about the area. He was alone, injured, out-manned and outgunned. He couldn't remember being in a worse situation. Frank was in desperate need for some luck, and in that moment the universe gave him some.

Unfortunately it was bad luck.

With a complete lack of his usual grace, Frank stepped awkwardly on a loose stone and slipped down a small hill. Right into a coyote den. They were startled into running but they all managed to howl as loudly as they could while they fled. The loud noise would draw all attention to this spot and that was the exact thing he was trying to avoid.

"All teams! Converge on that sound! I Repeat! Converge!"

Frank heard the order being shouted down a radio from the opposite side of the river. They had already spread out further than he believed. As he moved away, the wheels began turning in his head; counting enemies and guessing positions.

He had been foolish to assume they only had the one available team in the area. They had outflanked him and now he had nowhere to go but down. Frank kept running deeper into the forest, doing his best to be silent but knowing he was on borrowed time. The pain in his chest had long since been ignored but eventually it would hinder his performance.

When the bullets began flying, Frank abandoned all hope of stealth and simply ran as fast as he could over the treacherous ground. His eyes flickered from the surroundings to the floor and back again; to fall at this point would mean death.

Frank hurtled under branches and over logs, with as much speed as he could muster. As time went on, the lack of sleep and food began to make itself known, and Frank felt his strength begin to flag. He began stumbling more. Tripping here and there. But he always recovered his gait.

Until he didn't.

Frank didn't realise he had tripped until he woke up on the floor. The pain in his chest was the first thing he felt. It wasn't the dull, throbbing ache that it had been since he got shot. It was sharper, hotter than before. He tried to get up but could only manage to get to his knees. His vision was swimming and even though he could see no sign, Frank could feel the blood pool beneath the vest.

His rib had snapped in the fall and was trying to poke its way out of his chest. Frank managed to get to his feet by repeating "just a scratch" over and over again. Moving forward as best he could, Frank could hear the sounds of his pursuers coming closer. He broke into a run but the stabbing pain in his chest once more brought him to the ground.

This time he didn't pass out. Frank simply rolled down a small mound of dirt and came to rest next to an ordinary tree stump, surrounded by dirt and branches. This is where I die, he thought. It wasn't how he had imagined it. He had assumed his death would be instantaneous. A bullet tearing through his head. Ripping away every aspect of life before his body had even buckled.

Frank could hear them getting closer. His sight was greying but his hearing was still relatively sharp. The stomp of boots and the checking of magazines became louder and louder. The literal signs of his death bearing down on him.

Then it came. Automatic weapons fire. He had been expecting it but it still made him jerk. Or perhaps that was the bullets. It took a few seconds for Frank to realise that he hadn't been shot. There was screaming but it was getting quieter. Footsteps were getting quieter. A voice was getting quieter. By the time a pair of boots stood either side of his head, Frank had once again fallen unconscious.


	7. Back Again

After that first night, Piper had refused to be in the middle and so Reyna was placed in that position. In her words it was to "make sure Jason doesn't feel like he was in his dream threesome". Jason turned away from them both, Reyna fell asleep on her stomach and Piper...she stayed awake staring at the ceiling.

No one had spoken much after the confrontation in the woods. Piper had returned to the cabin followed shortly by Reyna, arms full with cords of wood. Piper watched as one of the most dangerous people in the world occupied her time with completely useless acts of domesticity. She checked the chimney, cleaned the furniture, swept the floors and cleaned the toilet. As annoyed as she was with the whole situation Piper couldn't help but notice that Reyna genuinely enjoyed her tasks regardless of what it was. She thought it might be a cry for a simple life, but Piper recalled the contented look on her face when she had killed three men and thought better of it.

The day vanished rapidly given how far North they were and Jason still hadn't returned. The temperature had dropped and continued to plummet as the hours went by. _If he stays out any longer he's risking hypothermia_ , she thought to herself as she remembered what he had been wearing. But still he didn't turn up. Piper was annoyed with him for his recklessness but even more so with herself for caring in the first place.

After everything that had happened between them she should't care about him. Piper had told herself that many times since she had seen him in that Ferrari but the words it did not seem to be taking hold. She sat there in the chair and simply did nothing.

Physically at least.

Mentally, Piper was running through every piece of intel she had amassed since the fall and even from before. Was Reyna right? Had the soldiers tried to kill her because she was getting too close to the Spider? Or had they come after her because she was Overwatch- former Overwatch- and it was just a coincidence? A lifetime of intelligence gathering had taught Piper that there was no such thing as coincidence so she operated under the assumption that the Spider was somehow involved with their hidden enemy.

Piper absentmindedly glanced at her watch and at the window. Actions which Reyna noticed. Given how long she had been following the Spider for, it was possible she knew something that no one else did. So she sat there reviewing everything she had ever learned about her target in the hopes that something would stand out. Nothing did.

When Jason finally came through the door, she gritted her teeth and walked away into the bedroom. Any relief that he was okay turned into loathing at the sight of him. Later as she laid in bed, listening to the both of them sleep, she felt...empty. As if feeling anything took more energy than she had to give. So she felt nothing.

Reyna turned her head, apparently wide awake, to look at Piper. For a moment neither of them said anything. The moment passed.  
"What's your problem McLean?" Everyone spoke quietly in bed. Even Reyna Ramirez it seemed.  
"Nothing whatsoever".  
"Cut the bullshit Piper. What the fuck is wrong with you?" Piper didn't answer. She refused to answer, to even contemplate how she would respond to such a question and eventually Reyna sighed in annoyance. "Fine. You don't want to talk then don't. Keep your shit to yourself. But you are coming back with us to Long Island even if I have to dislocate your arms and legs and stuff you into a suitcase. Make your peace with that".

Piper laid there, silent, wondering if-

"Yes I have done that before. It was worryingly easy". Piper stopped wondering.  
"If we've all stopped threatening each other perhaps we can now actually go to sleep?" Jason's voice came from the other side of the bed and made Piper tense up.  
"No one is stopping you from sleeping, Grace".  
"I tend to wake up when I hear threats of physical dismemberment".  
"Dislocation is not dismemberment. Get your head on right. You used to be good at that. Getting your head on. Remember?"  
"Reyna, show some class. Please".  
"Your sister is good at that too. Getting her head on".  
"Reyna enough". There was a short silence.  
"You fuck like your sister".  
"REYNA!"  
"THAT'S A COMPLIMENT!"

Piper snorted and turned away from the other two, an unwilling smile on her face.

***

"We need to talk about what the plan is". Jason turned at Pipers words and saw the look on her face. He knew then she had accepted to come back. Whether or not that had anything to do with yesterday was unknown. He moved to sit opposite her armchair and Reyna took up a spot leaning against the wall. Covering every potential entry point in the room at the same time.

They both sat there, waiting for her to speak. "We can't just go walking back home with nothing to show for everything. I don't know what you two have been doing but I've been chasing a ghost for the last five years and on the day I think I've found out who they are, a hit squad tries to take me out and Overwatch comes back from the dead".

Both Jason and Reyna immediately realised her point.  
"You're thinking this Spider of yours is linked to the hit on Overwatch?" Jason inquired. Piper didn't quite meet his eyes when she nodded.  
"Yeah I do. They've been involved in nearly every black books operation I've looked into. They supply the money and they get whatever they want. Two years ago they funded a PMC in the Middle East. The PMC got to go weapons free in the middle of an innocent village and a suspicious radioactive package vanished at the same time from a reactor nearby".  
"I heard about that" Jason volunteered, frowning with the memory. "I managed to track down about half of the company. Dealt with them privately but I couldn't find any sign of the rest".  
"That's because I'm more subtle than you are" Piper replied. "The point is that it is likely that my target is involved in this".

"How likely?" Reyna asked, her attention fully on Piper.  
"From what I've been seeing, the Spider is building a network. Every game is bigger than the last. They have gone after weapons, drugs, people trafficking, sabotage, corporate espionage, intelligence, the list goes on. They are creating a business empire with a divest portfolio. The attack on Overwatch brought together elite soldiers from across the globe aimed at the secret lives of some of the most dangerous people on Earth. That speaks of money and intelligence. And defunct or not, you don't kick a hornets nest unless you really want what's under it. They have a plan and we're in the way. There is no way the Spider isn't involved with this".

Jason may not have been an intelligence officer but he could keep a straight face with the best of them. Reyna didn't bother.  
" _We're_ in the way, are _we_?" she asked with a grin. Piper just rolled her eyes.  
"I'm either in the way or in the suitcase".

"What about the possibility that you were attacked for getting too close rather than being Overwatch?" Jason asked. Once again she didn't meet his gaze.  
"Yeah I've thought about that. So far every attack that has happened, has been against a former member of Overwatch. It's possible that the same rules apply to the attack on me. But given the number of times I covered my ass before going in, it is very hard to accept that our unknown enemy knew I was going for that file and would be at that apartment at that time".

"So you think that you accessing the file triggered a hit put out for the occupants of that location?" Piper nodded. "Then that means while it's likely that the Spider is involved in the attacks on Overwatch, the hit may have been completely independant of that and was just a failsafe".

All three stayed silent for a while, analysing the situation.  
"How do you fit into all this Reyna? We all went our separate ways but no one knows what happened to you. How did you get into all this?" Jason had been contemplating this as well but had been reluctant to ask it.

Reyna looked at them both before speaking. "I wasn't the same as all of you. My loyalty was never to Overwatch. Every Reaper had been loyal to Chiron and only Chiron".  
"You make it sound like he had his own private death squad" Jason said, only half joking.  
"He did" Reyna replied. There was an awkward silence as the other two waited; Reyna let them.  
"And did you" Jason finally asked, "or any of the Reapers do anything that would violate any international laws, treaties or conventions?"  
"Yes we did".  
"Let me rephrase that. Did you do anything that would betray the principles that founded Overwatch?"  
"Of course we didn't" Both Jason and Piper did not hide their relief at the answer. "Did you honestly think Chiron would allow such a thing?"  
"Of course not" said Piper. "But we also didn't think he would have a private death squad".  
"Don't play dumb. Everyone knew what the Reapers were and what we did. Chiron gave us a problem to fix and we fixed it. But there's a big difference between killing a priest who's trying to free his neighbourhood from drugs and assassinating a dictator who spends his days ethnically cleansing his country and nights raping young girls. Not women. Girls".

Even though nothing about her had changed, Jason and Piper both felt a chill that had nothing to do with the weather. Everyone had theories about what the Reapers did but this was the first time they had accused one of them of being a wanton murderer. Apparently they didn't like that. The rage they could feel emanating off of her was terrifying. There had been times in the past when her presence had given everyone courage. Now the fear was palpable.

"Reyna we didn't mean to question your loyalty to Chiron or his values" Jason said slowly. "But when people hear 'death squad' they immediately assume the worst. Even us".  
"We're sorry" Piper added. Her skill set included being able to lie flawlessly in life or death situations. But the obvious sincerity in her voice reduced the tension in the room.

"So what do we do next?" Reyna asked, the awkwardness already in the past; she had no time for unnecessary grudges. "We need to get back to Long Island and regroup with the others. But odds are there are people at every exit point in this country waiting for us".  
"When has that ever stopped us?"  
"Since Overwatch is back and we need to start acting like real Watchers again" Jason said. The other two looked at him as if he was a child but he didn't back down. "If we're going to rebuild Overwatch into what it was, what it was supposed to be, then we have to make it good from the inside out. That means all of us acting as right and as legal as we can. Until there is no other choice".

Reyna rolled her eyes but for the first time, Piper met and held his gaze. "That's all well and good Jason but our enemies aren't going to be held back by the same moral bullshit. That gives them an advantage".  
"Then we be better. Just like we were before".  
"And what are you going to do when you have to choose between what's right and what's legal?"  
"That's not a choice". Jason's easy, honest reply annoyed her for some reason.  
"Fine" she snapped, getting to her feet. "What about when there are no right or legal options left. What do you do when you have to get your hands dirty with the blood of those around you. What then Superman?"

From somewhere in the background, Reyna laughed at the use of his old nickname but Jason didn't hear. The blood was roaring in his ears as he stepped towards the woman he loved. The woman who hated him.  
"Then I do what needs to be done. I take that responsibility with both hands. I bear that weight on my shoulders. Because that's what we do Piper. We make the right choice. And when we can't do that we make the only choice. So that no one else has to".

_CRACK!_

Jason's head rolled with the force of her slap and Piper was breathing hard from the effort. She didn't feel the pain in her hand. All her focus was on the man in front of her. One side of his face was rapidly turning red until she could see the shape of her palm on his cheek. His hypocrisy had burned her. Ignited five years of fury and pain. Everytime she told herself she was over it, something happened to show her that Piper was only lying to herself. Jason slowly turned back to face her and the anger was gone. The righteousness had gone from his eyes which was good. Otherwise Piper would have hit him again. The only thing on his face now was sorrow and self loathing. He didn't say anything and neither did she. They both just stared at each other.

"Ok then. That was amusing. But the issue remains on how do we get to Long Island?" Reyna's voice caused them both to start and turn. "Superman wants to do it as legit as he can so I hope you brought your real passport McLean". As if she hadn't just been infuriated, Piper was calm again.  
"I buried my real passport and forgot where it is". Everyone in the room knew that was a lie but the point was made.  
"I did not say everything had to be legit" Jason said, once again defending himself. "We just need to be careful about how we go about things now. There will be repercussions. For Overwatch if not for us".  
"Fine", Reyna capitulated. "Then we do it the boring way".

 

The boring way wasn't actually boring, it was just the plan with less gunfire. Less, not none, Jason thought as the gun's hammer went back and the man dropped to the floor.  
"My deepest apologies Countess Khilkov" the Russian security guard said as his fellow soldiers rushed to remove the body.  
"It is no problem. You dispose of filth when you see it". Piper's Russian was flawless, with the accent of a highborn aristocrat. It made everyone in the vicinity want to run.

One of her many persona's included Countess Anastasiya Khilkov. Where most spies would seek to fly under the radar, Piper chose to soar above it. She had decided to create an identity in the house of ancient Russian nobility on the grounds that after the first time, no one would dare look into it. And she had been right. She never told anyone how she had proved herself to be a undiscovered member of the Khilkov house; Jason had long ago stopped asking. But as far as even the actual Khilkov family was concerned, Piper was of their blood. Welcome to use their power, influence and their money. Despite all nobility having been abolished, money still held sway.

"You are most kind Countess", the guard grovelled as he waited for the scene to be cleared. "That scum fled after we found him smuggling".  
"A most fitting end. But for how much longer must we be delayed for the sins of a dead man?" He flinched at the venom in Piper's voice.  
"Countess I-" he said glancing backwards "would be happy to escort you forwards". The guard led the way with Piper and Reyna following as Jason carried the luggage. Only the name of Khilkov stopped them from being searched for which Jason was grateful. Even with their influence, he didn't know how the Russians would react to a former noble house transporting weaponry and combat gear. Thankfully they wouldn't have to find out.

The tickets they had purchased were in first class and, as they boarded the plane, the Countess complained loudly to her lover as her bodyguard followed looking as if he wanted to fillet someone foolish enough to approach her. No one was.

 

Piper sat down in her seat and closed her eyes as if she hadn't a care in the world. She felt Reyna take the seat next to her and heard Jason sit directly behind her. The rest of the cabin was empty as per her instructions. Piper could just barely hear the complains from the former residents of first class but her word was final. First class was just for them.

But that didn't mean they could drop the charade. The Countess wouldn't be put away until she was somewhere safe. Idly she let her fingers stroke across the back of Reyna's hand. Where Piper was attracted to men and women, the Countess favoured women alone. It was designed to head off any talk of marriage alliances that could potentially cause a plan to go awry. It was no hardship for Piper either. Reyna grinned at Piper before lifting her fingers and lightly sucking on one. If only, Piper thought to herself.

The flight was terribly long. Piper spent the entirety of it wide awake and going through various scenarios, none of which she could relate to the people with her. She couldn't talk to them all, not truly. She only ever opened her mouth to flirt with Reyna or demand something from the hostesses. And once she snapped her fingers, summoning Jason to her side for no other reason than she could. She could see it in his eyes that he didn't mind, that he understood. Piper dismissed him before she grew more irritated. The last thing they needed was for the staff to see Countess Khilkov beat up her bodyguard.

The plane landed with no fanfare and Piper, with her entourage, were first off the plane. Jason once again carried the bags while they searched for a way to Long Island. Piper was relieved to be back in the States. Despite having been the one of the most effective intelligence agents in history, there was always a relief to come home. But as she thought further, Piper realised that she had not felt this relief in a long time. This peace that was settling on her was one she had not felt since...Overwatch. For five years, since the destruction of Overwatch she had been without a home. Without any anchors Piper had thrown herself into the world. Piper wondered if she had expected to come back.

Jason returned and glanced at her before picking up the last of the bags and taking them to the car he had hired. Piper was instantly on alert while remaining as casual as ever. She turned and kissed Reyna fiercely. Passionately enough that sensibilities were offended even as fantasies were born. Eventually she broke away and dragged the Reaper into the backseat of the car before Jason got behind the wheel.  
"How many?" Piper asked when the door slammed shut.  
"Six by my count", Jason replied as he pulled away.  
"And here I thought you just couldn't hold back any longer". Piper rolled her eyes and ignored Reyna's comment. She didn't feel like going down the conversational road of how she knew Jason had spotted a tail just from a glance.

While it was no Ferrari, Jason handled the Volvo with the same skill and confidence as he began a series of maneuvers designed to highlight any tails before losing them. He roared down the highway at the highest legal speed, performing dangerous lane changes at every opportunity. Jason's eyes flickered between the rear view mirror and the road. At one point Pipers eyes met his and her jaw clenched before looking away.  
"I can see two on the right" Reyna called out.  
"Three behind us" Jason added to the tally.  
"That means there's probably at least one ahead of us". Piper couldn't make out anything from the backseat so she didn't bother leaning forwards. She simply began reassembling the weaponry she had smuggled through in her baggage. It had been many years since Piper had taken a flight unarmed.

"Yeah there's the one in front". Jason swerved as he spoke, sending Reyna sliding into Piper.  
"Dammit Jason you still drive like you're in a cab" the Reaper barked, untangling herself.  
"It was a transformative undercover op". Piper watched as they took the next exit and fly through the city. "We can't take a tail back with us".  
"Obviously not". Piper knew he had been talking to himself but the scathing retort just slipped out. Jason ignored it which made it worse. He drove in and out of various streets and through several alleyways but there was always a car following them.

Sometimes it was an SUV and other times a simple sedan. The car changed, the driver changed and even the style of recon changed. But there was always a tail and they were very good. Approval from Piper McLean was something people had literally killed for.

"We're not going to be able to lose them in the car" she declared. Neither Reyna nor Jason said anything which meant they agreed and were waiting for her solution. "We find a nice deserted area, abandon the car and go our separate ways". She could feel the apprehension they felt at the thought of letting her out of their sight. From Jason it was subtle and composed, which was hilarious given the source. From Reyna it was a simple gun placed against her temple. "And yes we will all be meeting back at base". She turned and glared at the Reaper until the gun vanished back to wherever it had been tucked away in her mini skirt and sports bra ensemble. She grinned at Piper as if to say 'just checking'.

Jason gunned it down one street and up another before turning into a parking complex. Up and up he went, driving round and round until he came out on the top level. Nothing between them and the sky except for the rain clouds lazily hanging there. He parked as far away from the entry as he could before turning to them.  
"I'd say we have a minute or two before they get here. What's the plan?"  
"Feel free to contribute to that part. Don't have to leave it all to us". Once again the comment slipped out before Piper even knew it was coming and once again Jason ignored it.  
"Simple" Reyna said with an annoyed glance at Piper. "We split up, get rid of the tails and regroup at Chiron's place". Jason nodded and exited the car without a word. They both watched as he strode over to the wall and looked out over the city. As much as he could see of it anyway. After a second, he planted a hand on the wall and leapt over it. Piper's entire body tensed before relaxing immediately after; it had been years since she had seen him do that. She still hated it.

When Piper turned back to Reyna, the skimpy clothing had been abandoned for something far more functional. And for all her intellect, Piper couldn't understand how she had managed to change her clothes so fast, in a space so small, and all without nudging Piper once. Truly Reapers were beyond normal humans.  
"Look" she said tying her hair back, "if you want to bitch Jason out then more power to you. But stop letting it interfere with work". Before Piper could even nod, Reyna had left the car and walked towards a parked motorbike. It took seven seconds before she had roared away.

Piper was left sitting in the car, alone with two guns, a knife and her thoughts. A group of cars suddenly came up exactly where Reyna had gone down. Piper squeezed into the front seat and buckled up. A Sig in one hand and the steering wheel in the other, she slammed the gas and shot backwards, aiming right for the car in the middle.

***

Jason relaxed as he strolled through the streets of New York city, looking as if he didn't have a care in the world. He petted the dogs that walked past while ignoring the owners, winked at women who ignored him and shut out the rest of the world with his headphones. In other words he blended in perfectly. Except the headphones were attached to a complicated microphone system that allowed him to listen in on various conversations around him. Work complaints, relationship drama and social worries were all he could hear. That was what relaxed him.

He knew exactly where he was and how to get to Chiron's home but he needed to make sure he didn't have any unwanted attention when he did. As Jason strolled through the streets, his mind automatically assessing potential threats, he studiously avoided thinking about Piper and the colossal mess he was making of whatever was left between them; which seemed to be complete and utter loathing. This was not what he had hoped for when he had learned he would see her again. Jason thought back to the cabin. For one perfect moment, Piper had lain in his arms, soft and content.

But the moment he had properly woken up, Piper had been stiff and cold. Tolerating his touch for reasons unknown. The idea made him sick so he had rolled away and left as soon as he could. The memory was somehow the best and worst of the last five years.

"Target made. Moving to intercept".

The voice came through his headphones and snapped him back to reality. Jason made no move that would give away the fact that he had ears on everything. He kept walking forwards, as if in no rush at all while doing his best to take in all the information around him. Too many people. There were always too many people in the city. But there was also a lot of glass as well. Jason spotted his tail in the reflection of a passing car window and then again on a swinging door of a local bakery. He looked completely unremarkable but in his experience they were often the most dangerous. Almost like they had something to prove.

The tail spoke into a simple white headset, indistinguishable from the iPhone and Samsung earphones that were everywhere.  
"Identity confirmed. Overwatch Sniper Jason Grace. Armed status unknown. Will continue following. Requesting all local units to converge on my location". Jason's mind was trying to figure out the best course of action. He was alone and had no back up on the way. His weapons were simple and ammunition limited. His current pursuer on the other hand had an unknown number of people on the way, each with better weaponry than he and with more bullets as well no doubt. Jason needed to level the playing field.

His instinct was to go higher. Climb a fire escape and increase his line of sight, see the enemy before they saw him. But they would be expecting that behaviour from a sniper so he was forced to go out of his comfort zone. Jason scanned the streets as he walked through them, hoping to see something he could turn to his advantage. A few minutes later, he got his answer. It was a terrible idea, one of the worst he could have made in this siuation. But it was equally as bad for everyone. Jason grinned before stepping forwards and dropping down the open manhole and into the sewer system below.

 

The workers who had opened the manhole that morning had followed all procedures and protocols required. Traffic cones had been put up as well as barricades to prevent people accidentally falling in. But when they had set up they did not think for a second that anyone would purposefully jump in. They had thought wrong.

The only person who saw Jason vanish down the manhole was his tail and the moment he tried to follow, the workman had turned round and forcibly stopped him.  
"What do you think you're doing man? You can't go down there. You gotta step back!"  
"Someone just fell down there!" the man argued. "My friend. You gotta let me help him! Please!"  
"Listen guy. No one fell down there. I've been watching it all day. I saw no guy and heard no screaming. Get outta here". The workman stood in front of the manhole and waited for the other guy to walk away. All the while, Jason Grace was hurtling through the sewers.

It stank terribly and he was getting wetter and wetter with filth he had to ignore. But luckily, or unluckily, for Jason this was not his first time he had sprinted through a sewage system. So he was somewhat used to it. In fact it was one of the nicer ones he had run through.  
"Thank God it's not Baghdad again", he mumbled as he ran.

Jason took turns without hesitation and never once looked back. He had no idea where he was exactly but he knew which direction he was going and that was good enough. Everyone following him would be expecting him to head straight for Chiron's, which was why he was heading in the exact opposite direction.  
_But even that's obvious _, he thought. _If these guys are as powerful as they seem to be then the obvious answer would be to send in more people. Cover the whole island_.__

 

Paranoia began creeping into Jason's mind. The idea of an infinite enemy was something he knew to be insane but he found himself running faster and in any general direction. He abandoned his initial plan of heading away and forced himself to not think about where he was going.  
"Can't know where I'm going if I don't know" he said to himself.

After almost an hour Jason finally slowed down, panting hard. He was at the foot of a ladder and he could see and hear nothing from the closed manhole at the top. He climbed to the top after he had caught his breath before slowly raising the solid metal cover. After a quick glance he climbed out and dropped the cover back into place before taking cover.

He had turned up in an alleyway that he didn't recognise in a part of town that he wasn't sure about yet. It was quite and beginning to get darker. Jason was also fully aware that he was covered in shit. Well not completely covered. His head, shoulders and chest remained mostly clean but everything else was filthy. But on the plus side, he wasn't being followed.

Jason turned and ran up the fire escape of one of the buildings he was near. It looked like an old industrial warehouse that hadn't been converted to a new apartment building yet. Perching on the roof, Jason scanned the immediate area and then further afield as the temperature dropped and the sun fully set. It seemed to be clear but he wasn't entirely sure.

He turned away and sat, huddled against a small wall on the roof.  
"If there are people around and I move prematurely I get made and dead", he whispered to himself. "But if I don't move soon, the wet clothes means my body temperature will fall badly and I'll get ill and maybe die". Jason sighed before rolling to his feet, already he was starting to shiver.

Back on the ground, Jason ran from cover to cover. Always watching his own back just like he had been doing for the last five years. This was what he was used to. Relying on other people had become an alien instinct but he needed to learn how be part of a team again. Especially if they were to have a chance at stopping whatever was coming for them.

Jason passed a clothing bin for a charity and hesitated before stealing some clean clothes. No one would look twice at a guy covered in crap but no taxi would give him a ride either. And it was a long way to base. He kept on moving, aware that every shadow could hide an enemy or even a camera that they were looking through.

It was a while before he saw another person and it was no enemy soldier. It was a homeless man hoping to find anything of value in the dumpsters that were everywhere  
"Hey there". The man flinched and cowered when Jason called out, causing him to step back and raise his empty hands. "Hey I'm not going to hurt you. I just need to know where I am. Got a little turned around". The man was still cowering but Jason's friendly tone brought him forwards a little.  
"You lost?" he asked quietly.  
"Yes sir. A bit too much to drink last night and woke up here. Do you know where we are or where I can grab a cab?" The man stared at Jason for a while, long enough for Jason to start getting annoyed, before he raised a hand and pointed onwards.  
"Just keep going that way and you'll be fine". He turned away and began rummaging through the trash again.  
"Thank you", Jason called out as he jogged past. Hopefully he'd be able to get a taxi out of the city and he'd be able to walk the rest of the way to base. He reached for his wallet to check how much cash he had but found nothing. He searched himself frantically before groaning. He had forgotten his wallet in the car.

"Fuck". With no money he'd be forced to steal a car. He had hoped that his new found desire to be an upstanding soldier would last for longer than a few days. As he walked, Jason began thinking about Piper and her anger towards him. No, not anger. Hatred. He couldn't think of many people Piper hated. Just her mother who had walked out on her and her father when she was a child. She'd told him that her father had never been the same after that. It was worrying to think that he was in the same boat as Piper's mother because Piper had sworn she would never forgive her.

But it was hard to see how she could forgive him when every time they looked at each other, Jason could literally see the rage behind her eyes. With a heavy sigh, Jason began to jog. It was cold and running was normally a good distraction.

Eventually he made it back to somewhere he recognised. From there it was a simple matter to find a car and borrow it; he had every intention of making sure it got back to its owners. He took the car and drove randomly around. Sometimes towards his destination and sometimes away. Then after around thirty minutes, Jason left the car in a relatively safe area and found another. He did this several times until he abandoned the car all together. It had been hours since he had left Piper and Reyna. Hopefully they had gotten back to base ok.

Jason looked around him. He had left the city and was looking out over Long Island. He could just about see the water shimmering in the distance. Or it could have been the pollution. Either way he still had several hours walking ahead of him. Once again he sighed and began to move.

***

The gunfight had been exciting but not lengthy. They hadn't expected her to come charging at them, albeit in reverse, and their moment of shock had been all Piper needed to be the only one walking away. She had ditched the car at the first opportunity as the bullet holes would have drawn too much attention. Piper strolled down the streets, blending in with pedestrians and families alike. Moving from street to street with no discernible pattern or destination. Piper took advantage of her untraceable cards and cash to outfit herself with new clothes as the Countess's clothes drew far too much attention. Until she dumped them in the trash on the way out of the changing room. Piper admired herself as she walked past the mirror; she did look good.

She had chosen a simple outfit. Blue jeans with a black top topped with a dark green coat and matching scarf. Her hair hung loose down past her shoulders and Piper smiled at everyone who looked at her with slightly wide eyes. Yes. She looked very good and that's all she wanted to be right now. A young woman out and about, soaking up the admiring glances. That's all Piper was. That's all she wanted to be seen as. It was a part of her tradecraft that Piper excelled at. Many competent spies ended up getting caught because they focussed so hard on hiding the truth. Instead Piper believed the lie.

She was just a normal woman who wanted to be admired. Piper recalled what it was like to want to be looked at appreciatively and let it flood her mind and her body. She walked to draw everyones attention and then made sure it wasn't her face they were focussing on. Good spies forgot the truth. Great spies lived the lie.

Piper made her way onto the subway and headed to wherever the train was going. She got out after few stops, changed stations and then got back on for a couple more stops. Piper wanted to make sure that there was no one on her tail before making her way towards Chiron's place. It took several hours but for the first time in years, Piper laid eyes on Overwatch base. It was destroyed.

Even though Piper knew what had happened and that no one had gotten hurt, the view still scared her. In the moment between seeing it and understanding it, Overwatch was gone and she was the only one left. The last one, all alone. And it terrified her.

Piper walked towards the destruction and aimed towards the non-descript gardening shed that she knew would take her to a completely different life. A life that would change her. Or maybe it would change her back. And Piper didn't know what scared her more. Her eye was scanned and the lift began to move and before she was ready, it opened.  
"It's Piper!" she called out as soon as the doors began to move and she was glad she did. Chiron and Reyna both put their weapons down and grinned at her.  
"About time you got here beauty queen" Reyna greeted. Chiron was far warmer and walked over and embraced her warmly. And regardless of how much pain seeing Jason had brought back and how much anger everything had caused her, in that moment she was happy to be back.  
"Oh Piper. It's so good to see you. I've missed you so much". He held her tight and Piper found herself not wanting to let go. So she didn't. She let herself indulge.  
"I've missed you too Chiron. It's been so long". Piper had almost forgotten the sound of his voice. Almost reluctantly she let him go and stepped back. He looked older but not by much. All the exercise that was a prerequisite of being a soldier had kept him in good shape. It was his eyes that looked older. Haunted by the loss of his team and then the realisation that they were betrayed from the inside.  
"It really has. I've been keeping up with your work though. Very impressive".

Piper blushed. A completely spontaneous and involuntary action of embarrassment and delight. He acted like a proud dad. Piper loved it. Behind her line of sight, Reyna smiled too. She knew Piper had a tough parenting situation and was glad for her friend. She needed this.

"Chiron, I'm a world class spy. How did you 'keep up' with my work?" Piper laughed and took the seat Chiron offered at the meeting table. She had many memories of this table. Some of the happiest memories of her life had happened here.  
"You may be a world class spy McLean but I'm Chiron" She laughed again at his statement. As much from the casual and unexpected arrogance as from the truth running through it. His name was infamous throughout the world. If he wanted to find out about her, then he probably could. Reyna came and joined them at the table.

"As much as I enjoy reminiscing about old times, what's going on here Chiron?" Reyna was straight to the point as always and Chiron sighed. For a moment Piper was angry at the Reaper. The Old Soldier clearly needed something to smile about and she had just robbed him of what little joy he had felt upon seeing her. But the professional in her knew that information needed to be shared.  
"What's going on is that there is a rather large problem that has us squarely in the crosshairs. And we need to figure out whats going on". Reyna tried to say more but was swiftly silenced by a simple look from Chiron.

For all her flaws, the Reaper was fiercely devoted to Chiron. And the loyalty was returned. It was common knowledge that the Reapers knew more from Chiron than the others did. They were often privy to his whole plan when others weren't. But Piper was espionage; she knew all about compartmentalisation. It was second nature to her.

"We wait for everyone else to get here" His word was final and they accepted it.  
"Who are we waiting for?" Piper asked not knowing what she wanted to hear.  
"Ideally the whole team. Percy and Annabeth went to fetch Leo. They made contact but got separated. Leo is making his own way back. Frank went looking for Hazel and last I heard from him he was meeting an intelligence asset. Jason was with you and Reyna assures me he's fine".  
"He's always fine" Reyna shrugged off the concerns.  
"And I've reached out to a lot of others".  
"Where is Nico?" Piper hadn't known Nico that well but they had worked together. They had the same no bullshit approach to a lot of things. Chiron smiled and Reyna bared her teeth in a grin at the mention of her fellow Reaper.  
"I have no idea where Nico is but he is where he needs to be and he'll be here on time". Nothing more was said of the man and Piper knew better than to ask.

They spoke some more but Piper excused herself when she realised she was watching the clock and waiting for the elevator to sound. She walked around the base and re-familiarised herself with it all again. The nostalgia hit her hard as she even began reminiscing about good memories involving the store room. Shaking her head she began to walk towards the barracks before changing her mind and taking a room for herself. Even before the fall she would have been allowed a private room had she ever been on base long enough to use one. But now, with a mostly empty roster, there were enough rooms for everyone to get one each.

She closed her door behind her and walked straight towards the shower, leaving a trail of clothes as she went. An underground base meant that the water pressure was always phenomenal and after a hot shower, Piper felt better. Moving through her room, towel wrapped around her body, she began to accept in her heart that she was a Watcher again. Despite her seeming revelation at the cabin, Piper had kept a small caveat in her heart. If things get too messy, she was out. She didn't need any of this.

But after coming face to face with Chiron. After being back here after all these years. There was no caveat anymore. Someone was trying to take out Overwatch and she would not sit back and watch it happen. This was her home and her family, as much as she pretended otherwise. No one simply got to walk in here and fuck her home up.

After drying her hair, Piper realised that none of her clothes would be here so she slipped beneath the covers and felt the rough sheets scratch her bare skin. The pillow was the worst though as when she laid on it and inhaled, she could smell him.

Out of all the rooms she could have picked, Piper had picked Jason's. The anger that washed over her when she breathed in his scent was only matched by the sorrow that cut through her. In Reyna's cabin they had been so close at night. But it had been too much too soon and Piper had been unable to process it. But now, as she lay there alone, the tears began to flow. The pain and the heartbreak remembered itself and hurt all over again. Piper sobbed silently into the pillow for a few minutes before the tears began to slow. Eventually they stopped and a wave of exhaustion washed over her, and she would never admit it but the smell of the man she once loved helped send her to sleep.<

Piper woke up ready and alert just like every morning. Out of bed, washed up, dressed and ready for the day. It was 7am when she left her room and wasn't surprised to find that, despite there being only three people on base, the command room was a hive of activity. Eating the breakfast bar she had grabbed from the stores as she passed, Piper joined them.

Chiron was on the phone having a serious conversation with what sounded like a high EU official as he argued in perfect French while Reyna was tapping away on several different computer screens. Piper walked over and found her searching for any whisper of what was happening and who was behind it. She swallowed the rest of her bar and sat down next to her.

An hour later there was a very small amount of information coming through regarding small operations around the globe. Retroactive police reports from Australia of storming potential terrorist houses. Blurry videos taken on phones showed soldiers bursting into homes and opening fire. Each one weighed heavily on Piper as each one was the attempted elimination of a Watcher. From analysts to cleaners. No one was overlooked.

Some managed to get away while some did not. But try as she might, Piper could find no link that lead anywhere positive. It was almost like there was no trail and that infuriated her. Which was when Jason walked in. He hesitated a moment, seeing Piper there but he headed towards the computer desks and took a seat at one. His computer was far from Piper and Reyna's. The Reaper rolled her eyes audibly. Piper didn't know how she managed it but she did.  
"I told you to fix your shit" she said, only lowering her voice for Chiron.  
"You did. Then we got into a gunfight and this is the first time I'm seeing him. So there hasn't been much time for shit fixing". Reyna fell silent but Piper knew it wasn't over. She also knew that regardless of what was said, Piper had no intention of simply burying the hatchet. There was something in her that would break before it would bend.

Chiron hung up the phone and sighed.  
"What they say?" Reyna asked.  
"Same stupidity as before" Chiron said. Jason turned in his chair to join in. "We have no proof of any big organisation trying to take over the world and Luke is just a "disgruntled employee with an axe to grind".  
Jason snorted.  
"Calling Luke a disgruntled employee is like calling the plague a bout of the sniffles".  
"Exactly. But it seems to be the consensus that we can't expect any real back up. I have people who owe me favours all over the world and I imagine the same can be said for every one of us, so supplies shouldn't be an issue. But in terms of manpower, it is just whoever manages to make it back here".

They all fell silent as they looked around at each other. For once, Piper managed to look directly into Jason's eyes and feel no rage. She didn't see the man who hurt her, but rather one of the few people who was willing to stand at her side. At her side facing the rest of the world.

"But for now" Chiron continued, "we get our information, tap our contacts and open up our supply lines. We'll need everything and luck to come out on top"  
"You know I don't believe in luck Chiron" Reyna quipped.  
"You don't have to. So long as luck believes in you".

They worked furiously every minutes of every hour. One of the bad things about an underground base was that without windows, it was very easy to forget what time it was. Piper looked away from her computer after a few minutes and found that it had been several hours. The time had vanished and she had very little to show for it. A few potential leads but no plausible connections between them all. This frustrated her. It was like looking for the Spider all over again. It had taken years to build up that kind of information network where she could get an address and take them out.

 _But that had all been fake_ , she reminded herself. Years of work that had not only turned out to be pointless but almost got her killed. Would have got her killed if not for Jason. Her eyes flickered towards his back. He was sitting where he had been sitting all this time. Her gaze idly flickered up and down his torso, wondering what new scars he had acquired in the five years. He had never been particularly careful about getting injured. Jason was dedicated to the job. He would take any punishment if it meant making the mission a success. That meant a lot of scars. A lot of _needless scars_. They all had scars. Some just weren't visible.

"Is anyone else hungry?" Reyna asked from her station  
"Not if you're going to be the one cooking" Jason replied without turning around. Reyna was about to throw something at his head when Chiron started laughing as well.  
"Thanks for the support Chiron. I'm really feeling the love". Reyna pouted but no one thought for a second she was actually insulted.  
"Reyna the only way you could make an edible meal is if you kidnapped a chef to do it for you". Reyna, Piper and Jason burst out laughing at the comment, Jason even going so far as to fall off his chair. Reyna, still chuckling, threw her pen at him. It hit his head and bounced off; Jason continued laughing undisturbed.

Eventually he managed to calm down, although he was still hiccoughing a little  
"I'll go assemble some food" he said, standing up.  
"I don't think I trust your cooking skills not to kill us all" Reyna mocked.  
"Perhaps. But if my cooking kills you, it will be on purpose". Reyna stood up and followed him out the room, the pair of them mocking each other as easily as only old friends could, leaving Piper and Chiron alone.

They worked in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Piper was still trying to make sense of the information she had found from her recent searches but it was not going easy. She glanced to the side and found herself being watched by Chiron.  
"What's wrong?" she asked.  
"I was about to ask you that". Piper almost rolled her eyes.  
"Listen Chiron, whatever is happening between Jas-".  
"Actually" Chiron interrupted, "I was referring to the fact that you were finally closing in on the target of your dreams and almost died as you walked into a trap. Then found out that Overwatch was brought down from the inside by a founding member before being dragged across the country, then the world, by two former Watchers that you haven't seen in five years. Topped off by re-enlisting into a defunct paramilitary organisation with no support or even legal acknowledgement to fight a battle against a mysterious group with about ten people at your back. I assumed that was more important than the whole 'oh the boy I like, likes me back but oh the drama!'".

Piper burst out laughing. She couldn't help it. Most of the time Chiron was very taciturn and reserved. To hear him deadpan that last line was too much for her. Eventually she managed to get herself back under control and turned back to him as he watched her fondly.  
"It's been...something. Honestly I hate not finding the Spider. It really annoys me that after five years, they were still ahead of me you know? It's almost like an insult. Like all that effort barely got me the consolation prize". Chiron sat there nodding. And she knew it wasn't just a gesture. Chiron could sit as still as a stone when he wanted to. If he was moving, then there was a reason.

"But the thing with Luke", the skin around his eyes tightened but Piper had to keep going. "It was awful. Jason told me in the car as we drove away from the cops. Even though I was still reeling from seeing him again, the fact that Overwatch was betrayed...it really hit me Chiron". She found it was becoming harder to speak past the lump in her throat but she pushed on regardless. The only way to move on was to get it all out.

"We were supposed to be better than that. We weren't perfect but we aspired to be better than ourselves. We were there when we were needed. We protected those who needed it. We were Overwatch Chiron. Even after we fell, that still meant something to me. But when I found out it was Luke, it just stopped. Everything I'd ever done stopped meaning anything. We were just another corrupt organisation. We weren't better. We just lied to ourselves. And when Jason would start talking about being better than before and all that other bullshit, I hated him for it. How dare he? How dare he say the things we said before, when it ended in betrayal".

By the end Piper was whispering as the things she couldn't say to Reyna or Jason came out. Even she hadn't realised how much the reputation of Overwatch had been a core part of her identity. She had thought herself beyond such foolish notions but the emptiness she had been feeling for the last few days came from the same place as the warmth she felt when thinking about old times.

Chiron left his chair and wrapped his arms around her as silent tears streamed down her cheeks. He held her close and rested his head on hers.  
"Don't forget that Overwatch did a lot of good things in it's lifetime. We helped millions over the world. We saved lives. We brought true peace to area's others had given up on. The fact that we were brought down by one of our own is sad. But the greatest thing about Overwatch was not that we were better. It was that we always tried to be better. We never gave up. It may have taken five years, but we're trying again. And we'll try again after this. And again. Because we'll never be perfect. But we will never settle for anything less".

Sometime during his speech, the tears had stopped. Piper rested her head comfortably against this man who had carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. Listening to his heart beat, she swore that he would never again carry that weight alone.


	8. Patience is for Saints

Leo sat back in his chair and rubbed his hands over his eyes. They were tired along with the rest of him. He couldn't remember the last time he had been through so much. "I've lost my edge" he announced to the empty chamber.

It was true, he thought. While everyone else had kept themselves sharp he had let himself rust. Content with sitting in one place and slowly becoming less...him. He had tried to keep in shape. Fighting fit as they say. But as time went by, the loneliness had taken hold and he had stopped caring about how fast he could run. Leo had stopped caring about a lot of things. Those five years had been nice and calming. But they had also been dark and cold. More so than he'd ever tell anyone.

Standing up, Leo moved around his workshop. He was used to odd places with no natural light, but this one was a particularly miserable location. An old abandoned bunker from the turn of the century, excavated, reinforced and retrofitted for his work. Thankfully, he thought as he walked beneath the rusted beams, it still functioned as it was supposed to.

"Otherwise you wouldn't be breathing Zhang" Leo spoke to the unconscious Frank.

It took a few hours for Frank to wake up. Leo wasn't a medic but he had designed some very good equipment with those that were. It had never gone further than the prototype stage but the machines themselves were flawless. Leo had, with great difficulty, manoeuvred Frank to a position where he could attach his Cradle of Life as he called it.

It looked like a large external rib-cage with all sorts of analytical and medical devices on the underside facing the patient. As he attached it to Frank, Leo lamented that he had not taken it further himself. As he mulled over the last five years, Leo lamented many things. It took almost thirty minutes for the device to scan, treat and seal Franks wounds. After which, Leo felt no hesitation in dragging him over to the cot and dumping him onto it to rest.

While he waited for Frank, Leo hacked into every agency he knew of and some he'd only guessed existed. Firepower was all well and good but from what Annabeth had told him, they needed information far more desperately. Unfortunately he couldn't get into every database he wanted to but he had more than enough to keep himself busy.  
"We have no idea who the enemy is or how far their reach goes", he muttered to himself as he trawled through hundreds of pages of data. Information gathering wasn't usually his field but in the past he had helped Piper do her thing and remembered a few of her skills.

"If they look like they're connected then they probably are", she had once told him. "And if they are so obviously not connected that only an idiot would suggest otherwise? Then they are definitely connected".  
"So to your paranoid brain, everything is connected?" Piper punched his shoulder and grinned wildly.  
"Now you're getting it Valdez!"

He had helped her plumb the depths of the online world for information. They had gone on countless missions together. They were family, as was the rest of Overwatch. He would do anything for them. And as Leo sat there looking for patterns and not-patterns, he was acutely aware of how much he wanted to see them all again. Even discovering Frank unconscious at his door was a welcome surprise. But, he thought as he heard Frank wake, he wouldn't be telling him that.

Leo stood and stretched before meandering his way to the bed where Frank was coughing and groaning.  
"Stop complaining. It's beneath you". Frank started at the realisation that someone else was there but almost immediately calmed down when he heard the voice.  
"Leo? Is that you?"  
"No. It's a completely different Latino guy with an underground bunker and magical, life-saving, medical technology".  
"It can't be magical and technology. It's either one or the other".  
"As far as you're concerned, it's magic. As the one who built it, I know better".  
"I'm starting to remember why I didn't like you". Leo snorted. Hard.  
"Oh yeah. _That_ was the reason".

As Leo shook his head, Frank passed a hand over his chest trying to feel for any injuries. A full examination revealed him to be mostly healed. He sat up on his cot and looked around. Frank hadn't known that Leo had a bunker in the Bayou. He had always been very secretive about his caches. After the fall of Overwatch a lot of people had been grateful about his paranoia but currently Frank was feeling more than a little annoyed.

"I'm curious. How long did you wait before deciding to intervene?" Leo was instantly angry. He knew what Frank was implying and it irritated him. The look on his face must have given him away because Frank grinned insincerely. "I'm only joking. Relax Valdez".

Leo sighed and walked away from his old teammate. He had hoped that they would be beyond this. But Frank had clearly still not forgiven Leo for dating Hazel first. A stupid and petty attitude, even Frank himself had admitted it several times. But obviously Frank was nursing the grudge.

He sat back at his desk and picked up one of his old projects. Leo immediately remembered what it was and how far he had gotten. A mind like his tended not to forget things. Leo picked up a small screwdriver and continued his work as if the the last five years never happened. Leo liked to think of himself as something of an expert when it came to pretending things never happened.

Like the family that had died in Tampico city square. Leo did his best not to think of them.

 

After he had dealt with the soldiers, he had vanished quickly. As much as he wanted to stay and help, it was best that he just leave. It was his fault that all of this destruction had occurred anyway. As fast as he could without drawing attention to himself, Leo raced away from his home of five years and set a course for Long Island. He may have lied to Annabeth when he said that his caches weren't on the way. There were three of them en route and they all had the same inventory.

Leo grinned for no reason, a habit that had kept the dark times from getting too dark.  
"I haven't been to New Orleans in a while". He leaned closer to the bike and sped down the highway.

He decided to push on through the night as it was only a sixteen hour drive but regretted it when he neared his first roadblock. His eyes were getting heavier and Leo was reminded of how soft he had let himself become.  
"There's a lot of activity a mile up ahead. Around fifty people and their weapons". Leo came to a sudden stop when his AI spoke to him. Something he had designed on one of his more lonelier days, he had come to rely a great deal on her.  
"Talk to me Pera".  
"I just did. People and guns up ahead. You should probably find a way around". Leo rolled his eyes.  
"Well would you find me one please?"  
"Of course". Leo waited for a few moments. Then a few moments more.  
"Pera?"  
"There are a lot of people and they keep moving. They want to kill you very badly". Leo nodded as if it was the story of his life. Which is was. "Here is the best route". The Watcher groaned as the new route was displayed on his HUD. It was almost twice as long as the original and it kept adjusting as Pera watched the enemy movements. "You can always just let them shoot you".  
"No thanks Pera. I'll take your route". The bike made almost no sound as it accelerated away into the darkness.

By the time he had reached his safehouse, Leo was exhausted. It had been so long since he had ridden this hard that his legs were cramping up. But he couldn't afford to stop as it seemed that there were people waiting for him on every route. Several times he was forced to backtrack and follow another route supplied by Pera in order to get past.

He rode into his bunker so tired that he didn't even care that everything still worked perfectly. The main door sensed his approach and opened up. The lights all came on as he entered his bedroom and then turned off again when he collapsed on his bed. For the next seven hours, Leo slept deeply until he was woken up by the sound of gunfire.

As he slept, his security system had been tracking Frank and his pursuers silently. It wasn't until the first shot was fired that it raised the alarm. Leo rolled out of bed, fully awake with a pistol in his hand. It took him a moment to realise that the gunfire was coming from the speakers, not the base. Leo sprinted towards his security centre in time to see Frank get shot out of a tree.

Because of course it was Frank. Who else could be that big?

All the security measures were up but the weapons came online much closer to the base than the cameras did. Leo did not want to accidentally headshot a hiker who was appreciating the bayou. Leo was about to arm up and head out when Frank began, unknowingly, making his way towards the base.  
"Hurry up you big idiot. Move faster".

Almost as if he had heard, Frank began moving at a quicker pace but it was obvious that he was injured. Through the ravine and then across the river. Leo sprinted to the door closest to Frank's position and threw it open...and waited.  
"Where the hell are you?" Leo muttered to himself. Closing it after several more seconds, Leo ran back to the cameras. "Of course you decided to pet the coyote's" Leo ran to the far side of the compound which was where Frank had now fallen to. As he left the bunker, he heard the whirr of the self-operated automatic weapons. Bullets began flying through the air and by the time Leo stood over Frank, they were the only two breathing humans in the area.

It took longer than Leo cared to admit to get Frank's unconscious body back into the bunker without adding to his injuries. Once he could, he used the Cradle on him and let it work. Afterwards Frank was dropped onto a bunk and Leo left him to it.

He heard Frank stand up and begin to move around his bunker. Leo fought the urge to turn and watch him; he was uncomfortable having someone in his sanctum. He wanted to trust him. But Leo remembered what happened the last time he had trusted someone from Overwatch.

***

Frank had woken up alive which was the first thing that surprised him. He had thought he would die out there. Then he had woken up indoors which was the second thing that had surprised him. But then he had heard Leo's voice and everything made sense. Except Frank's behaviour.

He had thought he was past this nonsense. Frank insulted Leo moments after Leo had saved his life. He was ashamed of himself. He remembered the bikes that Percy and Annabeth had owned, and the reinforcements that had kept Chiron alive. All Leo's work. He took care of those closest to him. He was a good man and a good soldier. Frank never worried when Leo had his back.

But everytime he spoke to Leo it was just hidden insults and not-so-hidden insults. And all of it over such an immature reason.

Frank moved around the bunker, examining everything but touching nothing. He knew Leo didn't like people touching his inventions and given the poor thanks he had just offered, he tried to be considerate. But he couldn't stay silent forever. They were at war and on the same side.  
"When did you get to New Orleans? Last I heard you'd made a home in Mexico and Percy and Annabeth were coming to get you". There was silence as Leo didn't enthusiastically jump up to respond so Frank kept moving. Examining curious items and understanding the layout.  
"I got here yesterday". Leo's voice was quiet. Far from the voice he remembered, full of energy and life. "They did swing by for me. Told me everything and pulled me back in. Then we came under fire and we had to split. Percy got hit". Frank spun around to face Leo, ready to demand every piece of knowledge, but Leo beat him too it. "A single round to the chest. Kevlar held but his ribs broke. Annabeth got him out. I needed to pick up some things so they headed towards Base and I came here".

Frank waited, eager to hear more but there was nothing else coming. Leo had said as much as he was going to and Frank felt a wave of irritation that he had to control. No one else got under his skin like Leo.  
"I had a similar story. I came here looking for Hazel". Frank waited for half a moment to see if Leo reacted to her name. But his back was not very expressive. "She vanished one morning leaving behind a cryptic note. And ever since I've be-".  
"What did the note say?" Came his question. Frank stared hard at Leo, anger bubbling up once again. He wanted to ask 'why' but instead simply answered.  
"It said 'Better safe than sorry. Batten down the hatches'. That's all. And ever since then I've been looking for her. I was at one of my outposts when I saw the recall and knew they'd be linked. Chiron said that last he knew she was heading for Louisiana. I tapped an old contact but she knew nothing. After I left, that was when the chase started. You know how that ended".

Frank realised he was babbling awkwardly and stopped immediately when his tale was told. The silence was just as awkward. For a few seconds he kept staring at Leo's back, hoping for him to offer more information but he didn't.  
"Does that note mean anything to you?" He hated asking the question. Frank hated the idea that the last thing Hazel had said to him was actually a message to Leo of all people. But at this point, every question needed to be asked if he was going to find her.  
"Of course it means something". Frank's stomach twisted. "It's the tagline from that movie that came out last year. Stormchasers". For a second Frank was confused, then understanding and relief washed through him.  
"I remember seeing ads for that" he said happily. "Hazel mentioned wanting to watch it but we never got round to it". Frank was about to add silently that she had probably seen it by herself when Leo did it for him.  
"If she wanted to watch it then she watched it. With or without you".  
"Thanks for explaining my girlfriend to me". Another awkward silence but Frank was beyond caring. "Do you have that movie? I want to watch it and see if I can figure anything out". In silence, Leo rolled his chair over to one of his computers. A few keystrokes later and a projector lowered itself from the ceiling and began showing the movie on the wall. Frank snorted with derision and sat down to watch. "Because what safehouse is complete without a media centre".

Leo didn't answer. Nor did he say anything while Frank studied the movie. Writing down various quotes, references and scenes in case they were what Hazel was referring to. For two hours, he paid strict attention to the film while keeping an eye on Leo. He just sat there at his desk, tinkering away. After the film was over, Frank was even angrier than before.  
"I don't get it!" He had analysed every detail in that movie, even gone so far as to research casting choices and fun facts about the film itself. But he had nothing. "Maybe it wasn't a hidden message. Maybe she was just saying that something big was coming".

The silence from Leo was starting to be just as irritating as his voice when Frank turned on him.  
"Do you have anything to add? Anything useful or are you just going to sit there?" Leo didn't even bother turning around.  
"I would like to add that you're an idiot. A gigantic, muscle-bound moron".

Frank snapped.

All of the worry and stress and fear from the last few weeks came out all at once and Leo was the target. Frank stormed towards the seated figure before spinning him around and wrapping one massive hand around his throat. Then he froze. He could feel Leo's pulse beneath his palm. It was steady. Just as steady as the gun that had nestled itself at the base of his right shoulder. Frank stared into Leo's eyes as he stared back at him.

He knew that a bullet from that gun, positioned as it was, wouldn't kill him. It would permanently cripple his arm and limit his mobility in the field even though Leo would be able to heal most of the damage. Which is why Leo was aiming there in the first place. But his hand around Leo's throat would either do nothing or everything. And they both knew that Frank would never kill another soldier. Not like this anyway.

Frank's hand sprang open but Leo didn't move his weapon. Instead, he allowed Frank to back away and remove himself from the line of fire. When he was several steps away he felt it was ok to speak.  
"Why am I a moron?"  
"What was the first line in the movie Frank? The very first sentence?" Frank thought back and almost slapped himself in the face. He _was_ a moron.  
" 'I'm going to France' ".  
"Good boy. Now would you like a supercomputer to try and crack the code? Because I have one if you want".

Frank gritted his teeth and turned away, choosing instead to focus on the fact that he now knew where Hazel was. France was a big place but still smaller than the entirety of the world. He could fly there tonight and find her. He'd need to use a secondary passport though. The Agency would have definitely flagged his real one. A quiet hum sounded and Frank turned to see a crate begin to glow.  
"What is that?" he asked.  
"My supercomputer. A few years old but still decades ahead of anyone else on the planet". The light from the computer was a soft red that shifted to orange then yellow. Slowly it cycled through the colours of the rainbow and Frank knew that Hazel had helped build it. She loved the rainbow. "If she's gone underground then we'll never find her. But if she's left any sort of trail then we should be able to pick it up with this".

Leo sat at his workstation that was now a computer desk. A keyboard had appeared, embedded in the desk and a monitor had risen from...somewhere. Frank studied the setup for several moments but couldn't understand where it had come from. The familiar _clack-clack-click_ of a keyboard being used filled the air and almost reflexively Frank relaxed. He could not count how many times he had fallen asleep to that sound. Too many times, yet not enough. She had worked for different people all over the world and sometimes had to keep odd hours. But they always made time for each other.

Frank shook the idle thoughts from his head and moved over to Leo's desk. When they were both standing he towered over the other man. But when Leo was sitting, Frank almost couldn't see him. Which was why he made sure he could always see him.  
"Found anything?" He asked already knowing the answer.  
"Nope. Probably won't find anything for a while. This is Hazel after all. Just because this computer can find her, doesn't mean it will". Frank nodded, it was never going to be that easy. "You need to rest. You won't have fully healed yet. That's why it still hurts".

Frank hadn't realised his hand had drifted to his chest or that his ribs were aching until Leo pointed it out.  
"I'll be fine" Frank replied.  
"There is literally nothing you can do here. Go to sleep and get back to full strength. I have a feeling that Hazel will need it". Leo was right. Frank didn't say it but he knew it. They were heading into a new war and they would all need their full strength. The Canadian soldier turned and went back to his cot. The exhaustion weighed heavily on him when he let it. His head touched the pillow and he was asleep.

***

Leo's eyes glazed over as the search ran itself. He didn't need to do much at all. He had needed this particular computer because when she had built it, Hazel had installed several search programs that would be able to find her. She called it her contingency plan.

 

"Why can't you just set up a fake email account or something?" Leo had asked, confused and tired.  
"Because dude, everything leaves a trace". Her voice still made his pulse race even though they had ended things a few years before. She looked at him and smiled her beautiful smile. Leo couldn't help but smile back. "Even a simple email can leave a trace that can be found and followed. I know because I've done it. Three of my last five bounties were because they tried to send an email from hiding. And those corruption files that leaked a few weeks back? Fake email address. These programs will find me without me leaving any trace".

 

Leo snorted and sat back in his chair. Those corruption emails had stalled the government for several months as they tried to deal with the ramifications of a president who had colluded with a foreign state. Hazel loved giving justice a helping hand. She made a living by tracking down criminals and making sure all evidence against them found it's way into the right hands. Or the media. Either way was fine by her. And in her downtime, she would dismantle corrupt and dangerous organisations and redirect their financial assets towards worthier causes. If there was anyone who could change the world from behind a keyboard, it was Hazel Levesque.

The search ended with no hits so Leo booted up a different program and started the search over again. "Just because it can find her doesn't mean it will", he said to himself again. He didn't need to as it wasn't likely that he'd get his hopes up. But he had to be sure.

No results. Restart.  
No results. Restart.  
No results. Restart.  
One match found.

The ping woke caused Leo to wake up, his head jerking up from where it had been perched. He was immediately alert and scanning the computer monitor.

_The search parameters you requested returned one match in Paris, France_

"What the hell are you doing in Paris?" Leo didn't stop there. He set off a whole host of snooper software all designed by Hazel herself and all it returned was the fact that she had been online five minutes ago. Leo groaned but he was also smiling. There was so much he still didn't know but now they knew she was alive and in Paris. Leo swivelled in his chair and was about to wake up Frank but then paused.

He was laying on the cot, snoring gently, and Leo decided to let him sleep. Frank was going to be pushed to his limits in the next few weeks. Leo could feel it. The world needed him fully healed. He would get angry and shout when he woke up but this was the best decision. He stood up and wrote what he'd discovered on a post-it and dropped it on Franks forehead. Then he turned and went to his own room.

It was his bunker. Of course he had a room. And of course, Frank woke him up a few hours later banging on his door.

 _Thank God I locked it_ , Leo thought as he returned to consciousness abruptly when something heavier than Frank smashed into his door.  
"Zhang if you've broken my shit I'll crucify you!" he called out from his cot, albeit a much more comfortable one than the others.  
"Get out here Valdez!" Leo rolled his eyes but got up and stepped out of the room. Frank was standing directly in front of the door with a terrible look on his face. The last time Leo had seen that look, many bad people had suddenly come down with a variety of medical issues. Bullet to the brain being the most common.

"Why didn't you wake me? You found where she is and instead of waking me up you write it on a goddamn POST IT NOTE!" Frank Zhang was a large and healthy man with large and healthy lungs. When he roared, people heard. Standing inches from him, Leo was left partially deafened and had to wait a moment for his ears to stop ringing.  
"Yes" he said after he could hear himself speak. "I did wait. I waited so you could have the first full nights rest you've had in a few days, Probably longer. I waited so you could heal a bit more. My Cradle can do a lot but you still needed to heal completely. And since you're breathing deep and shouting loud, I'm assuming you're back to normal". Leo took no satisfaction from the realisation on Franks face as he felt his chest. _Almost_ no satisfaction.

"Yes. I made the call to get you back to effective fitness while allowing Hazel to know that we're together and we've found her". The look on Franks face was almost indescribable.  
"You've spoken to Hazel?" The naked hope and relief was pure enough that it hurt Leo to know he would destroy it.  
"No, I'm sorry. I meant that Hazel would have been notified that these search protocols were looking for her. And if she left you the note and I was looking for her then she'd guess we are together". Frank nodded but not before Leo saw the pain he tried to hide. "Hazel knows we're together and knows something is up. She probably knew before the rest of us. So going to Paris, half-cocked, would have only put her and her mission in jeopardy".

Frank stared at him for a second before turning around and going back to sit on his cot.  
"I really hate when you're right Valdez. I'm sorry". Leo knew how much that cost him but the constant accusations had not put him in a merciful mood.  
"I'm always right Zhang. It's the difference between you and me". Any contriteness on Franks face vanished in an instant and he stood back up, once again ready to fight.  
"Well what's the plan now genius? What the hell do we do now?"  
"We do what we've always been planning on doing. We go back to base". Franks eyes narrowed, his frame becoming more threatening.  
"I still haven't found Hazel. I'm not going back without her". Leo ran his hands though his hair in frustration.  
"We've just been over this. You have no idea what she's doing or how deep she's gone. You know absolutely nothing about what she's doing meaning that if you go blundering in, like a goddamn gorilla, the only thing you'll do is put her and her operation at risk. When's the last time Hazel took kindly to someone fucking up her work?"

Leo knew he was being unfair, but Frank was too close to the situation. Hazel wasn't some damsel in distress who needed saving and Frank, more than anyone, was aware of that. But the situation was serious and his issues had to be put aside. Frank had to be dragged back to reality and Leo was the only one there.

"Hazel is doing her job and the only thing she needs is for us to do the same". Tension radiated from the soldier until he was clenching his fists and grinding his teeth. It went against every instinct in his soul to leave someone he cared about if there was trouble. But war was about training, not instinct. "There's a gym down that way", Leo gestured towards a closed door. "Go get your head together while I figure out what's next".

Without waiting for a response, Leo turned and headed back to his computer to begin finding a route without trouble. He heard the gym door close.

*

Frank slammed his fist into the heavy bag over and over again. His knuckles had long since stopped hurting and every muscle was on fire. But still his mind was screaming at him to help Hazel. So he kept on hitting. Over and over and over again. Practicing every move he knew. Every combo he learnt. Elbows. Knees. Feet. Every part of him drove into the bag with enough force to lift a fully grown man clean off of the ground.

But it still wasn't enough.

The weights hadn't been enough. The fitness hadn't been enough. Frank knew he was in good shape but not this good. There was still some shred of sanity in him to recognise that he was pushing himself too far, but that recognition did not stop him from doing so.

The sweat was pouring off of him as he worked away, as steadily as an engine. He hadn't eaten in too long. Couldn't remember the last time he had drank water. But it was helplessness that was fueling him now. Pushing him. Forcing him to keep going. He can't help her now. But he could get stronger. Faster. Deadlier. He could be usefu-  
"ZHANG!"

Leo's shout broke his concentration. His jab glanced off the bag and Frank lost his balance, stumbling before going down to the ground. It was as if all the energy had drained out of his body. His vision had gone blurry and he could barely breathe as he struggled to hold himself up on his hands and knees.  
"Goddammit Frank! This is the kind of thing that we don't have the time for!" Frank felt Leo's arms struggle to pull him upright and at any other time he would have found it amusing. But right now, Frank himself didn't have the energy to stand up under his own power. He needed all the help he could get.

"What the hell were you thinking? You only just recovered and now you're back on the bench". Eventually Leo managed to haul Frank up onto his feet and half dragged him out of the gym. Dumping him back on his cot, Leo grabbed several items from his little kitchen area and threw them in a blender, cursing Frank all the while. "Oh no!" Leo drawled, imitating Frank. "I can't impose myself on my girlfriends mission! I know! I'll work out to the point of exhaustion and put everyone else in danger by doing so! That'll make me feel better".

Frank felt a glass get shoved into his hand but couldn't find the strength to grip it properly. Leo steadied his trembling limb and helped him drink the high calorie shake. In the days before the fall, everyone had their own special recovery recipe. The flavours ranged from peanut butter to banana and mint and no one was ever far from their private stash of ingrediants.

He drained the drink as he slowly got his breath back. Frank wasn't a fan of chocolate brownie but he needed the energy and offered no complaints. Especially as Leo was right; he had messed up massively. Frank blinked and the drink had been finished and there were three big sandwiches in front of him. He would have apologised and thanked Leo but he didn't have the energy to speak. Not that Leo was giving him an opportunity to.  
"Of all the stupid things your dumbass could've chosen to do Zhang. What were the other options that made this seem like a good idea? Taking up heroin? Setting fire to the Bayou? Adopting a goddamn Honey Badger?" He stormed around his kitchen, grabbing anything that could possibly help Frank fight off acute hypoglycemia while Frank just tried not to fall forwards.

"Here I am, trying to figure out a way for the two of us to make it back to base without dying or getting anyone killed, and there you are, doing your absolute best to get in the way of that. I mean for fu-"  
"Enough". Frank had intended for the interruption to come out strong and loud but he was still incapable of producing anything louder than a whimper. _Dammit Frank_. "I know...I messed up. But you talk...too much". Every word was an effort and he couldn't draw enough breath to speak for longer than a second.  
"I don't think I'm talking too much" Leo disagreed. "I'm just enjoying being able to speak in full sentences. My lungs are fully functional". He too purposefully deep breaths as if to prove the point. "And I can use those lungs to produce wonderfully long sentences in which I can detail just exactly how badly you are fucking us over!"

Leo's voice echoed through the bunker and Franks ears. At first he thought he was just being dramatic but the echoing didn't stop. It only got worse when his vision blurred. Just before he keeled over backwards, his eyes darted to the now empty plate and then to Leo's out-of-focus face before the world turned off and Frank fell unconscious.

 

When Frank woke up he felt better. His heart rate was steady and his vision was as sharp as an eagle's. He stood up on steady limbs to find Leo working at his station; only a few hours had passed. Frank stood up on steady limbs and felt only just shy of full strength.  
"You drugged me". Frank was mildly annoyed but he also recognised the wisdom in the decision. It was an awkward position to be in.  
"No I didn't. Believe it or not I didn't have to. Now are you done accusing me for today? Can we get on with actual work?" Frank had been wrong. _This_ was an awkward position to be in. He wanted to apologise. The words were on his lips but Frank knew he wasn't going to say them.  
"Catch me up".

Leo spun his chair round to face Frank as the giant Canadian sat back down on his cot.  
"We need to get to Chiron in Long island. We are in New Orleans. There are many people in the way who want to kill us. That's the game. Care to play?"

Frank thought for a second before realising that Leo was waiting for him to contribute.  
"Catching a flight is out of the question" he said. Leo nodded.  
"Yeah they most likely have people posted at every airport in the country, or at least the major ones".  
"If we try catch a flight we could be walking into a trap. Driving there?". Again Leo nodded.  
"My first thought and how I got here. I used my bike but I only have the one and it's made for one rider".  
"That seems a little pointless", Frank said. Not out of spite but common sense.  
"Oh is it? Please show me _your_ custom designed battle bike".  
"You called it a battle bike?"  
"Yes because it's a bike I ride into battle. So I don't confuse it with my laundry bike and my bike bike".

Frank sighed. He knew that Leo had every reason to be angry but it didn't make it easier to deal with him. He was a loyal friend and a trying person.  
"So if we can't take the...bike, do you have a car?" Frank asked trying to avoid another argument.  
"I do. Most of my stuff is at another workshop but I have a decent ride here. Fresh plates and completely untraceable. Unless they're following us that is". Frank rolled his eyes but said nothing. "It should be able to get us to Long Island in just over a day".

Frank was unsure. The timelines were a massive unknown so the sooner the better. But there was no other option.  
"Sounds like the best plan" he said.  
"It's the only plan Zhang" Leo countered.  
"That's why it's the best one Valdez".

They began to move and gather supplies for the trip. If they took turns sleeping and eating then, apart from getting gas, they would be able to drive continuously to Base. Frank hadn't managed to bring much with him but Leo was sorting through equipment and throwing anything that might be useful into a few duffles. Eventually they were armed and ready to go.

They had to hike through the bayou as there was no chance of getting a car through the brush. It was the middle of the night and neither spoke a word as they walked. They headed in the opposite direction from where Frank had come and didn't see any bodies. The moonlight became stronger as the trees grew thinner and then all of a sudden they were at the road.  
"Ok one mile east and that's where our ride should be" Leo said.  
" _Should_ be?"  
"What do you expect? All this information is five years old". Without another word, Leo walked off and Frank followed, annoyed.

 

Thankfully the car was as Leo had left it. The small garage had been completely overgrown in the last few years but at a click of a button, the door opened up and the humvee sat there in perfect condition. They stored their gear and took off into the night. Going unnoticed was the plan and they both know it was a matter of time before the plan failed.

Every car he had designed was integrated to his main server so he could have used Pera's speech function on this drive. But something in him balked at the idea of letting Frank know about his friendly neighbourhood AI. So he kept her silent and pretended she was just a really smart sat nav. Smart enough to tell them that there was an enemy presence on nearly every road they needed to take to reach Long Island.  
"We can either trust in the car or try to get around them". Frank said nothing and Leo realised that he had fallen asleep. He shook his head. "Well Pera I guess it's just you and me". The sat nav screen gave him a quick thumbs up emoji before throwing up all the possible routes that he could take.

Frank woke after the first hour and conversation dropped to almost nothing. They made good time for the first half but as they got closer to New York, their route was changing almost every ten minutes.  
"A dynamic search pattern. Hard to pull off but very effective" Frank's first words since they had gotten in the car.  
"Which is bad for us. Try not to sound so happy".  
"I'm not happy. But our enemy deserves our respect".

Leo was driving and followed the ever changing guidance that Pera gave him. For a while it worked. They made progress and didn't get shot. But then the navigation system just stopped. It didn't turn off, it simply stopped displaying a route. Leo slammed the breaks on and turned the car off completely.  
"What the hell is going on?" Frank asked, throwing his hand out to stop from smacking his head on the dash.  
"We're surrounded".

They sat there for a few seconds thinking about their options before they decided, independently and simultaneously, on the same course of action. The engine roared to life before Leo activated the stealth mode. Immediately it quieted and the headlights turned off. Several other measures came into effect such as the heat signatures of the engine and exhaust being masked. All in all it made the car very hard to detect, unless they were using their eyes.

Leo kept the speed slow as they turned off road a mile before Pera indicated there was an ambush. The car itself was making almost no noise at this speed so he just needed to avoid causing too much of a disturbance as he drove and they'd be able to escape a fight. It was unbearably slow but they could managed it.

Inch by inch they crept forwards, using the night vision the car was equipped with to avoid driving over anything that would make too loud a noise. The road they were avoiding was completely unlit and appeared to the naked eye to be empty. But Leo and Frank could both see through the night vision that there was a team of soldiers waiting to take out anyone on the road should they be given the order.

They weren't.

The Watchers snuck past the ambush and made it back onto the road before driving away at a high but legal speed.

"We can't do that too often", Frank said. "It only worked because of cloud cover and the fact that there were no street lights on that stretch".  
"I know. But they have pretty much every road covered at some point of another. There is no other way. If we abandon the car it's easier to sneak past but it'll take us weeks to get to base".  
"We have to risk it but that risk is going to bite us in the ass eventually". Leo agreed but there was nothing else to do. Well there was one thing. They both checked their weapons and moved them to their laps. Ready to be used.

Twice more they evaded a patrol that night, but then their luck failed them. The sun had come up as they drove towards a cluster of abandoned buildings and both immediately knew there would be something waiting for them.

It was one of those places that exists well past the border of one civilisation and well before the border of the other. It had started as a gas station and then a bar had cropped up. A few other nondescript stores had appeared in the hopes that bored travellers would spend some of their time and money with them but it was not to be. A highway had probably opened up somewhere with an exit to a superstore and just like that, the hopes and dreams of the people here had been crushed. They abandoned their stores in the middle of the night, leaving the place to fall apart, until it provided a suitably unnerving backdrop from an ambush.

At least that's how Leo saw it.

A quick scan told them that there were fifteen heat signatures waiting for them. Tucked away in various corners.  
"Their positioned around this point in the road" Frank pointed at the projected map on the windshield. "The moment we reach that spot, we're in a killzone. But if they're as good as they should be, then they'll be able to reform and fire regardless of which direction we approach from".  
"And I'm guessing they have something in place to stop us from simply going off road and around?" Leo watched Frank as he picked up his rifle and rolled down his window.  
"If I'm right...". A single shot was followed by a loud explosion of dirt and rock up ahead.  
"All you had to do was say 'Landmine'. I would've taken your word for it". Frank smiled a little.  
"I thought you would have wanted proof".

Leo shook his head and gripped the wheel tight.  
"So I guess we're kicking down the front door then", he said moving his foot to the gas pedal. Beside him, Frank butted the gun up against his shoulder.  
"I guess we are".  
"These windows are bullet-proof against standard calibre bullets but they'll probably be firing something special" Leo said. "When it starts to crack, you've got about three shots before it shatters". Frank nodded and glanced at Leo, confused.  
"Aren't you going to arm up?" Leo smiled a little before pressing a button on the console. Two modified Uzi's popped out of hatches on the hood and swivelled around, calibrating themselves before settling down. Frank rolled his eyes but his finger moved off of the trigger.

"Ready?" The giant soldier nodded and Leo slammed the pedal down. The custom made tyres bit instantly and the car shot forwards, almost flying towards the collection of buildings. The heat signatures didn't move and Leo remembered the cold discipline of the soldiers as they executed the families in Tampico square. There was no remorse in him as his guns began to fire.

The moment they were past the first building, the enemy soldiers opened fire, aiming at the car as it drove through. In the same moment, the machine guns targeted the soldiers and began dropping them one by one.  
"Damn, those guns are good!" Frank admired as a squad was taken out in seconds, falling from the rooftop that they'd been camped on. Leo grinned as Pera flashed another thumbs up emoji as she continued to analyse every target via the on board cameras and take them out one by one.

Leo watched as the heat signatures vanished two at a time and was just feeling optimistic when Frank shouted "RPG!" Before he could react the weapon struck Frank's side and exploded, throwing the car up. It rolled over and over, throwing the occupants against their seatbelts before coming teetering just on the edge of falling back onto its wheels. Leo braced himself and slammed his entire body against the car, once then twice and it slowly fell back onto its wheels.

They were moving before all four wheels were touching the ground. The chassis was built to take a lot of damage but there was still a limit to what it could withstand. The moment they were moving, Leo began driving in an evasive manner. Doing everything he could to avoid another rocket.  
"Where did that damn thing come from Zhang?" Leo roared as he skidded around before colliding into a barricade they had made.  
"They had teams hidden behind thermal camo!" Frank replied, his head on a swivel as he tried to keep track of every target. It wasn't easy but Frank did his best. "At least thirty soldiers left. Drive right at them!" Once again Leo skidded and hurtled straight for their enemies. They all immediately opened fire at the machine guns but Frank opened his window and added his own firepower to the mix.

Frank aimed at the soldiers protected from the Uzi's by their heat suits. They were caught unawares as they worked with the heavy weaponry. One of Franks shots struck the pile of rockets they had behind them and the explosion took out two nearby buildings and several other enemies.  
"I'd like to see your guns do that!" Frank celebrated. Leo just rolled his eyes then suppressed a grin as a final middle finger emoji appeared then vanished.

The explosion broke the enemy and they scattered. The barricade they had built across the road looked solid so Leo drove through a former convenience store to get around it. The building collapsed in his rearview mirror and the beaten up car drove away.

It took another two days, which were thankfully peaceful, before the remains of Chiron's house came into view. They had swapped drivers a few times and it was Frank who was behind the wheel at the time. He aimed directly for the garage entrance but slowed down, letting Leo get a good look at the destruction.  
"If it wasn't for your reinforcements, Chiron would be dead". Leo didn't respond but he unclenched his fist a little.

Seeing this and knowing that it was Luke who had done it, brought a bitter taste to his mouth. There was a reckoning to be had and Leo was glad he was going to be part of it. The garage looked exactly as he remembered it and, stepping out of the car felt like walking through his front door. He smiled unashamedly. Leo was home.

"I smiled that same smile Valdez". The voice came from behind him and he swung around grinning widely.  
"But of course McLean, you smiled where no one could see you". His arms opened wide as Piper grabbed him in a bear hug and squeezed him tight. If Annabeth was his older sister, then Piper was his twin. They were of a height and of an attitude. Both were always ready to fuck shit up.

Eventually they let go of each other and stepped back to look at each other. Piper tried her best not to show what she was feeling but right now she was glowing with joy. Leo knew he looked the same.  
"Still a beauty queen huh?" She punched him on the arm.  
"Obviously. I'm the pretty one. You're the tech support one". Leo burst out laughing. He hadn't realised how much he had missed her until seeing her again.

Parting ways was the nature of the job. It didn't help to obsess on when or if you'd see someone again. So missing people was just self-torture.  
"Are you guys going to make me unpack this car by myself?" Frank called out from behind the trunk.  
"Well yeah but since you're being such a child about it..." Piper lead the way and after embracing Frank, started picking up whatever was closest. "My God. Did you bring _everything_ with you?"  
"Don't ask me". Piper turned to Leo who raised his eyebrow at her.  
"I will bet you anything that at least three of these things end up savings someones life".

Piper laughed again and then three of them began sorting things out. Medical devices went into the infirmary, and the rest were scattered throughout the equipment stores. Then Leo led the way, shaking slightly, to the main area and found Chiron standing there waiting for him. Before he could say anything, the old soldier swept Leo up and into his arms as easily as he would a baby. Leo would have laughed if he hadn't been about to cry.

This man had given him everything he had hoped for. In the deepest depths of himself, Leo had wanted to be a hero. This man had made him one.

"Thank you". It took Leo a second to realise he hadn't said it. Chiron had. "You saved my life Leo. Five years later and you still saved me. Thank you". Leo stopped trying to say anything and simply hugged him back.

Eventually Leo and Frank met with Jason and Reyna and they all gathered around the table. There were a few people still missing and he noticed that Piper and Jason wouldn't meet each others eyes. _I thought they would've moved past that nonsense_ , he thought.  
"I'm not going to explain things over and over again so we'll wait until everyone who is coming has come". Not one to mince words, Chiron got straight to it. "Percy, Annabeth, Nico and Hazel are expected in the next few days. When we're all together again, we can talk. Until then, Leo and Frank. Rest up and then get to work. The others will bring you up to speed on what you need to do".

Three hours later they were all sitting at the computers, silent except for an occasional question or joke. That latter was mainly Leo and Piper firing back and forth. Although with them it was hard to tell the difference between a joke and an insult.  
"Ok I'm done with this one", Leo announced. "I'll move onto the next one. I finish fast".  
"That's probably why you don't have a girlfriend", Piper said. Leo grinned.  
"Well you have neither girlfriend nor boyfriend so what does that say about you?" Reyna cackled as Leo dodged a pencil that was aimed at his head. From the corner of his eye, he could see Jason grinning as he worked.

_It's a start_


	9. Salut, frère

The weather was great. Hazel opened her eyes and watched the storm rage outside, the rain splattering against the window. Trees were being bent sideways from the wind and she could see a gap that told her that one had already been uprooted. The gales shrieked, the lightning flashed and the thunder roared and Hazel snuggled deeper into her duvet, luxuriating in the warmth.

She looked over at the sleeping giant next to her and smiled. Hazel got out of bed slowly without waking her boyfriend; something she had done many times before. Their apartment was a little chilly but Hazel bundled herself up in a robe and got ready for work. Hazel called herself a hacker and was one of, if not the best. But in the course of becoming one of the best hackers, she had picked up a great deal of far more legitimate skills. One of them was computer forensics and a company in Beijing had offered her a stupid amount of money for work that wasn't very hard. The only downside was that she had to be on their local time.

For the last month, Hazel had been getting up just after Frank went to sleep and and bedding down an hour after he woke up. They didn't have much time together and that was difficult for both of them. But it wasn't going to be for much longer, she told herself.

Hazel sat down at her desk and booted up her rig. It was one of the most dangerous pieces of equipment on the planet but only in her hands. She had custom designed this computer and it was her pride and joy. The storm continued to blow outside as her fingers dances across the keys. Hazel greeted her contact in Beijing and began to parse the data they sent through.

It was mind numbing work but she occupied the rest of her brain by trawling through cyber space, looking for criminals. It had been a long time since she had been Overwatch but Hazel never lost the taste for setting things right. Governments were infiltrated, secrets were learned and policy changed all from the comfort of her seat. Most people would be surprised to learn Hazel Levesque, the picture of southern politeness with several medals in horse-riding, was also Centurion, the internationally renowned hacker. And none of them would ever find out she once blackmailed two heads of state into signing a peace treaty.

A small beeping in her ear pulled her attention away from trying to find who had been stealing encrypted data from her client.  
"Who do we have this time? Talk to me" Hazel said she picked up the habit of talking to herself from Leo. Leo said he got it from her.

Hazel pulled up her trawlers and examined what they had caught. After a few seconds her blood ran cold.  
"Time delayed infiltration alarms. They knew my trawlers were there. They knew what would set them off. They knew how to get around it. I've been hacked".

Hazel fired off a quick apology to Beijing and shutdown her entire system and then remotely killed her personal server. She sat there in the dark listening to a storm that had become far more ominous.  
"I know everyone who can hack me and that trail was something new. A new player has entered the game who's writing code unique for me. Oh you thought I missed that? Guess again new guy".

She retrieved from her bookcase a laptop that had absolutely no connection to Hazel Levesque at all. Bought with cash by someone who had no relationship to Hazel. There was no reason for anyone to think that Hazel would ever use this machine.

Hazel booted it up and went looking for those who came knocking on her door. No trawlers this time. This time she stayed on top of the waters. There were many ways to find a trail and Hazel knew them all. She had invented a few of them herself.  
"Let's see who's creeping around shall we?"

For the next hour, Hazel searched using the vaguest terms and broadest parameters. And at the end she had nothing to show for it. She grew frustrated and that was when the message came in.

_Do you prefer Hazel or Centurion?_

The notification blinked innocently in the corner of her screen and she watched it, not knowing what to do.

 _I know you're there_  
**Who are you?**  
_Please answer the question. Do you prefer Hazel or Centurion?_  
**It doesn't matter.**  
_Very well then. Ms Levesque I have a problem. I have had to work twice as hard to avoid your trawlers. There are so many. Would you be kind enough to remove them?_  
**The only people who need to avoid my programs are those up to no good.**  
_You're point?_  
**I have no intention of helping people like you**  
_Very well_

She waited fifteen minutes but there was nothing else. No threats, no bribes or offers of favours. No communication at all. Something felt wrong. Hazel began pace up and down. Walking and talking to herself was how she worked.  
"Someone good enough to find and avoid my code knows my names. They're up to something and they're getting away with it. They must know that I'll come after them tonight which is what they want me to do. So I come at them sideways".

Decision made, Hazel got to work. She changed silently out of her pyjamas and into more hard wearing gear. Grabbed her passport and left. Before she did though she left a note for Frank. Most people would have left a normal message but after what she had just found out, Hazel left nothing to chance. Even though she was worried about what was happening, on her way out she laughed as she thought about how long it would take Frank to understand what she had written.

A taxi paid for in cash got her to the airport and a throwaway credit card got her on a flight to Paris. Luckily she had several fake passports that she knew wouldn't be flagged. Her real passport was in a safety deposit box under a fake account that belonged to a fake family that stretched back to the 16th century.

The flight was perfectly fine. Long and boring, exactly what you wanted in a transatlantic flight. But Hazel could not stop looking over her shoulder. There was someone out there who know too much about her and she knew nothing about them. They were a monster in a mask and she knew they would be far less terrifying when she took the mask away.

Too nervous to sleep Hazel watched a few different movies including, to her amusement, Stormchasers. She watched it and remembered the first time she had gone to watch it. When it had come out she had wanted to watch it so badly but Frank had been terribly busy. Some report that needed his urgent attention. So she went by herself. She knew Frank wouldn't mind; Hazel wouldn't love him if he was the type to get annoyed over such a thing.

The film ended and she selected the next one, eating as she watched Spiderman defeat the Vulture. Eight hours later the flight landed and she blessed her New Orleans upbringing as she waited in line as border.  
"Business or pleasure?" the agent asked, eyeing her as if he could see evil intent in her eyes.  
"Plaisir bien sûr" she replied. His eyes softened at her flawless French and she knew he appreciated the lack of a New Orleans accent.  
"Votre français est parfait".  
"Merci Monsieur. Comment allez-vous?"  
"Je vais bien madamoiselle. Bonne visite".

With a smile, Hazel took her passport and walked through. She searched her pack for the simple scrap of paper that had been sent to her a few months ago. It was crumpled and torn but on it was a single address. She gave the taxi driver an address a mile away. Charles de Gaulle to Paris took almost an hour due to the insane traffic they met on the way. The taxi driver proposed many reasons why the traffic was so bad. Immigrants were at the top of the list. Hazel kept her mouth shut in case she tried to argue and accidentally killed him.

After far too long in his company, she slammed the door on his stench and walked away. With nothing but a single pack that was a lot lighter than the ones she used to carry, Hazel was able to maintain a good pace. One that had her at her destination in under ten minutes. She was nervous. Excited but nervous. Clenching her fingers, she knocked on the door sharply. It was a polite gesture as Hazel was sure her presence had been noticed long ago.

She waited a few second for the door to open and standing in front of her was a tall and pale man with dark hair and sharp features. There were those who thought his eyes were cold and hard but Hazel thought they were full love and warmth and fire. But he was her brother and she was biased.  
"Hey Nico".  
"Hazel. Come on in".

Hazel and Nico weren't full siblings but that didn't matter to them. As far as they were concerned, they were family. And they would beat down anyone who said otherwise. And there were a few.

Hazel thought it was very understandable as they looked nothing alike. Hazel and Nico learned that they had shared a father but both took after their mothers. Nico was tall and lean, with jet black hair long enough to brush over his eyes at times. It caused him to look even paler than he actually was which suited him.  
_He's so beautiful_ , Hazel thought as she followed him inside. _Not that he puts it to use_.

Hazel on the other hand was short, dark-skinned with curly hair and a curvy figure. Her mother had passed on her good looks and thankfully nothing else. She walked into a small flat and sat down on a couch. Nico sat at the other end and turned to face her. He was smiling a little; something he only did around her.  
"How are you doing Nico?" He shrugged.  
"I'm OK. How about you? What's wrong?

She didn't bother refuting it. There was no point and they both knew it. But she kinda wanted to try and she could tell Nico kinda wanted her to.  
"I had a run in with someone online".  
"If you're here to hunt down a snotty little ten year old because of what they said on Call of Duty, then I'm out". Hazel snorted at the image.  
"I wish. Some of my trawlers pinged and when I checked...they had let themselves get caught". Nico raised an eyebrow, which for him was very expressive. "Exactly. So I went looking for them and then they found me first. Knew I was Hazel. Knew I was Centurion. They asked me to pull my trawlers back because they were interfering with their work. I refused and they went dark".  
"No further communication?"  
"Nothing at all. I need to go deep cover".

Nico just nodded and Hazel felt relief. She knew he would help her but now she knew she wasn't alone.  
"Stay here as long as you need. Does Frank know?" Hazel shook her head and Nico understood.

They sat next to each other simply enjoying each others company. It had been a long time since they had seen each other.  
"So what's going on with you Nico? What are you doing these days?"  
"Not much. I do some simple recon work. Helps pay the bills. A PMC tried to get me to topple a legit government so I got them done for tax evasion".  
"That was you? Dammit. I had them in my sights when they collapsed".  
"You have to work faster to keep up little sister".

Hazel rolled her eyes. She was older but he was much taller than her. It had gotten old, fast.  
"And how's your dating life? Any special girl managed to catch your eye?" Hazel teased. Nico snorted and shook his head.  
"You know I only have eyes for you".  
"Nico, don't tell me you haven't dated anyone since Will". He didn't say anything and she sighed. "Come on man. It's been five years. If you're not over him then call him. If you are over him then move on".  
"It's not that easy. There's a reason why all of our friends partnered up inside Overwatch itself. Because other people just don't understand. What am I supposed to put on my Tinder profile? Former intelligence operative/assassin?"

Hazel broke into a fit of giggles.  
"You're on Tinder?" Nico grinned and ran his hand through his hair. He was embarrassed!  
"I was for a little bit. Every time I swiped right it was a match. Had to stop after a few days".  
"Oh no poor sexy you. All the guys want a piece of Nico. How terrible". He just shook his head.

"New topic. What are you hoping to achieve here?" Hazel burrowed further into the couch. It was blue as was the rest of his furniture. The walls were painted various shades of white and grey while the floors were wooden. All in all it was a very nice place to live.  
"Something is going down Nico. My trawlers don't search for people pirating songs and movies. Whoever these guys are, they're into some real bad things. And if they're good enough to catch my stuff then they have to be taken seriously. I'm going to try and find out who they are and what they're up to".  
"What do you need from me?"

Hazel pulled out a piece of paper from her bag and handed it over. Nico nodded; he approved of lists.  
"Fresh top spec laptop. High speed internet connection. Untraceable set up. All of this I have. The American chocolate is going to be hard to get but I'll get you some sort of cacao based snack". Hazel beamed at him. The reason she hadn't involved Frank was that his life was very much in the open. He never had multiple identities or secret lives. He was straight and upright. Hazel adored that about him. But for this she needed to go dark. And Nico's help would make a world of difference. He was, after all, a Reaper.

They spent the rest of the day and night simply catching up. The nature of their jobs made them wary of what they said over electronic communications, even encrypted ones. So this was the most they had spoken in years. They chatted, watched TV and ordered food. The delivery boy blushed terribly when Nico opened the door and stammered as he accepted the money. Hazel watched from the window and it was adorable. She said as much when Nico brought the food in.  
"He was crushing on you so bad". Nico just set the bags down and threw a pillow at her.

The food was pretty good but what Hazel enjoyed the most was actually spending time with her brother. They had gotten along even before they knew they were related. Finding that out had been a hell of a day but they were so close already that making the transition to family was easy.

 

They had first met inside of Overwatch. Hazel had been recruited after her online activism had been brought to their attention. She had been midhack when her someone knocked on her door. Hazel had tried to ignore it but then the door came down and of all the people in the world, standing there was Leo Valdez. Her ex boyfriend. And with him was a strikingly beautiful woman who she would later become good friends with. Piper Mclean.

Nico had been with Overwatch for some time when Hazel joined but they became friends very easily. A few joint missions and they were thick as thieves. One day the two were with the rest of the team in Chirons house and the conversation turned to parents.

"That's probably not the best topic" Annabeth had said. She had been sitting on the armrest of Percy's chair while steadfastly ignoring him; everyone else was just waiting for them to get together. "Overwatch tends to collect a lot of folk from not great homes".  
"Really?" Hazel asked. Everyone nodded and then went around the room sounding off.  
"Absentee dad. Abusive stepdad", Percy said.  
"Alcoholic mother. No father" added Jason.  
"Evil stepmother" Annabeth contributed.  
"But your fairy godmother made up for it yeah?" mocked Leo. Annabeth's reply of "fuck off" was lost amidst the laughter.  
"No dad" Frank said when everyone had calmed down.  
"Violent dad", said Reyna.  
"Mother murdered by uncle" was Nico's contribution.  
"Mom abandoned us. Dad was crushed by it", Piper admitted.  
"Dad left when he got mom pregnant" finished Leo. "But my mom was perfect. Esperanza Valdez. My angel. You want to see her picture?"

Everyone immediately agreed and a grinning Leo pulled out his wallet. Tucked inside was a fading picture of a beautiful Hispanic woman holding a chubby little baby in her arms. They were outside some sort of workshop and they were both smiling. Mother and baby wore matching overalls.  
"That was my first birthday. A lot of photos got destroyed in the fire but this one somehow survived". This started everyone else reaching for their photos. As he moved around, Jason 'accidentally' knocked Annabeth into Percy's lap causing them both to blush furiously.  
"Whoops. Sorry brother" he'd said insincerely.

After Leo, Frank talked about his mother who had died in the military whilst holding her picture. Hazel almost teared up from the pride and sorrow in his voice. Percy talked about Sally Jackson. It seemed that he was talking specifically to Annabeth but his words were for everyone. She protected a young Percy from his stepfathers abuse and everyone loved her for it. She was beautiful. Hazel could see so much of Percy in her but his eyes must have come from his father. Piper's father turned out to be a huge celebrity but no one teased her for it; it was clearly something she was reluctant to share.

Hazel spotted Nico holding onto a photo and gave him a curious look.  
"I don't have any pictures of my mother", he admitted. "There weren't any to keep. This is my dad. I don't know why I keep a picture of him. Maybe so I'll know who to kill if I see him".  
"Can we see him?" Reyna asked. She rested a hand on her friends shoulder in support and eventually Nico handed the picture over. "You should be proud Nico. You look absolutely nothing like him". Nico shook his head and smiled but Hazel knew the words meant a great deal.

The photo was passed around and when Hazel looked at it two things became clear. The first was that Reyna had been lying. Nico's facial features had come from his mother but the height and pale skin were clearly paternal. The second was that she knew Nico's father.

"Hey Nico?" she said slowly, still staring at the image. "You sure this is your dad?"  
"Of course I am. Why?"  
"Because this is a picture of my parents before my dad ran away". She passed both images back and everyone gasped.

It was very clearly the same man.

The room was silent as Nico and Hazel stared at each other. Eyes flitting over the other, looking for similarities and familiar traits that they'd ignored before. Eventually he walked towards her and everyone parted ways. Nico stood in front of Hazel, the height difference forcing her to crane her head upwards.  
"You're my sister". Hazel barely managed to nod before Nico wrapped his arms around her and hugged her as tight as he could. Her own arms came up around her brother and she began to cry. Hazel couldn't tell whose body was shaking but she didn't care. She had a brother.

There were sniffles from the ones watching but they let her be for a time. Until Leo.  
"This is too fucking emotional" he blurted out.  
"Goddamn it Valdez let them have the moment" Piper scolded.  
"Hey they have a lifetime of moments but this is the first and it needs recording". Hazel pulled away from Nico slightly and saw Leo setting up a camera. "Everyone get in. Group photo time".

Despite their annoyance at his interruption, everyone jumped at his words and came together. Percy and Jason grinning broadly, arms around each other. Annabeth had pulled Chiron from where he had been watching his children silently and hugged him close. Chiron draped an arm around her shoulders; the perfect image of a father and his daughter. Annabeth had also managed to stand close to Percy on his other side. Something Jason noticed if his attempts to force Percy to shuffle closer were any indication. Next to Jason, Nico and Hazel stood still holding each other as Frank towered behind the both of them with Reyna at his side. Piper and Leo, as the shortest, were standing at the front. Each grinning maniacally.

"All right everyone say 'Family'" Leo commanded.  
"Family!" The chorus sounded and a flash lit the room and the moment was captured forever.

 

Hazel held the picture in her hands as Nico got rid of the trash from dinner. When he came back he smiled at the memory behind the picture.  
"How did we get here Nico? How did we get from family to this? A group of individuals who barely see and speak to each other".  
"We broke. We gave up on each other".  
"Do you think there's any way back?" Nico didn't answer. Which was answer enough. "So what's the plan?"  
"Tonight we sleep. I'm guessing you got none on the plane given that you assumed you were being followed?" Hazel nodded. "Tomorrow we start. First thing is we catalogue every one of your trawlers and find out which ones are compromised. From that we can see what kinds of operations are likely to be involved in whatever is going on".

Hazel nodded again. It was a solid plan and something she herself would've come up with had she not been exhausted. Hazel laid down on the couch and was asleep before Nico covered her with the blanket.

The next few days were tough but they were used to that. Once Nico knew what to look for they began scouring the web, both dark and otherwise, looking for Hazel's network of trawlers. There were hundreds. And everytime they found one, Hazel would access the stats and find out how many times it was set off and how many times it was tampered with.  
"Why did you even write this into the program?" Nico asked one day.  
"Write what?"  
"The ability to analyse the data whilst _not_ under your own name?"  
"Because I'm paranoid brother. It's a family trait". Nico snorted at the truth.  
"I'm an assassin. You're just nuts".  
"I'll bet I've brought down more people than you have".

As they worked, they compared their hit lists and found that Hazel was indeed in the lead. But only by two.  
"Given that you can do your thing while sitting on your ass while I have to physically go kill them, I'm taking the victory on this one".  
"You can take what you want. Isn't going to change the fact that my number is higher".

Eventually they managed to hit every last snooper program so they sat back and analysed all the data they got.  
"This isn't good" whispered Nico, more to himself than Hazel.  
"They've all been tampered with. Every single one. In the exact same way. Going back months. Years".  
"That means the exact same organisation trades in weapons, drugs, people, artifacts, art-work, animals, black market anything and more". They sat in silence for a minute or two, in awe at the scope of the operation.

"So...what next?" Nico asked. Hazel stared at her laptop screen for a few minutes more.  
"We need more information". She half turned to face Nico, his face lit by the light from his own machine. "Right now all we know is that my programs were hacked. That's not enough to raise the alarm with".  
"What alarm?" Hazel didn't answer.  
"We have to find out who did this and why. We need to start tracing these hacks". Nico glanced at the list.  
"There are three hundred and fourteen trawlers, each one hacked several times and each time from a unique location". They both grimaced at the task ahead of them but squared their shoulders.  
"Then it's time to get started".

It took another seven days and hundreds of dead ends before they managed to finish the list and create a decent image of what they were looking at. Nico taped a world map up on the wall and they started laying their results out. The entire apartment looked terrible. There were food containers everywhere and scraps of food everywhere else. The smell was wasn't the best either but they had become used to it. The pursuit of truth had led them to a very unhygienic place. Neither of them noticed.

"Ok so we have a lot of heroine coming out of the Middle East with cocaine out of South America and Marijuana from all over the world" Hazel recited off the list.  
"Got it. Next".  
"Next is people trafficking. Out of the Eastern hemisphere, Africa and Eastern Europe and heading West".  
"I tried doing something about that a few years ago" Nico said as he grimly added it to the map. "It died down but the local powers are involved so it always comes back".  
"Weapons are centred in the US, Russia and Middle East and are being sent everywhere. Artifacts are going East to West".

One by one Nico added the information to the map and eventually they stepped back and looked over all of it at once. It was terrifying.  
"It's a truly global network" Hazel remarked. "No where is safe. Even the North and South poles are involved".  
"And where are the strings being pulled from?"  
"The ones we could follow end up in three locations. Washington, Paris and Moscow".  
"Three centres in three trigger cities, with the potential for more".

They both stared at the map for several more minutes before Hazel collapsed backwards on the couch, rubbing the fatigue from her eyes.  
"It's no good. My brain is fried. I'm so tired Nico".  
"I know Hazel. Me too". Yet despite his words, the Reaper still remained as focussed on the map as if he had just woken up. Hazel stood up, finally drawing his gaze away from their work.

"I need a shower. You start cleaning this place up and when I come out we'll switch".  
"Oh yeah that sounds fair" Nico drawled as she grabbed fresh clothes and a towel. "You take a three hour shower leaving me no hot water and all the cleaning to do". She grinned tiredly.  
"I wish I had time for a three hour shower. We still have work to do Nico. I'll be ten minutes. Twenty max".

After a very hot, very relaxing and very short shower, Hazel came out and found her brother cleaning away the detritus of the last few days. She tapped him on the shoulder and he walked towards the bathroom.

Hazel threw open the curtains and opened every window, letting the fresh air into the home. She finished what Nico had started then set about general tidying up. Dusting and cleaning dishes. She even threw clothes into his washing machine. By the time Nico returned, the apartment was clean and Hazel had ordered lunch.

"We need more power" Nico mumbled with his mouth full. Hazel understood exactly what he meant and simply nodded. That was tomorrows problem. It would wait.

This time Nico took the couch. He insisted until Hazel was too tired to refuse any longer and she trudged to the bedroom. She found a warm bed with fresh sheets waiting for her. Hazel undressed and slipped under the covers, falling asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

The next morning they discussed what was going to happen next as they ate breakfast.  
"We need more processing power to find what we couldn't" Nico stated between bites of Coco Pops.  
"No. If they're properly hidden then it doesn't matter how hard we come at them, we won't find anything. But some were hidden via third party means. Blocking codes, rerouted via a dozen countries. Those are the ones we can break". Hazel took a bite of toast liberally covered with Nutella and chewed slowly.  
"Montpellier". Nico didn't need to explain further. Hazel nodded and that was that.

They set off within the hour. They had both woken up before 7am in the habits of old soldiers. In Hazel's case though it was more likely that she was still temporally confused from working in the US on Beijing time. They left home before 8, Nico leading the way down the street to a garage and getting into a scratched and dented old car.

Hazel raised her eyebrow as she got into a car that looked terrible from the outside but felt wonderful from within.  
"Cars that look terrible attract less attention than cars that look good". The engine roared as he showed off for his sister before they set off. Hazel was not a car enthusiast but even she could tell that the engine had been custom built. And unless she was wildly mistaken, there was bulletproofing all over the vehicle.

The traffic was very light as they headed south. It was a seven hour trip to CINES where they housed the Occigen supercomputer system. It was available for research and education and Hazel was certain she would have two perfectly usable identities by the time they got there. They passed the time playing idle car games and swapping stories about the last few years with a little more detail than before. Hazel offered to drive at the halfway point but Nico just shook his head.  
"We need those ID's done before we get there. Besides I'm fine. I've driven longer than this".

Hazel got back to work but in the back of her mind was an old worry. Nico was one of the most dangerous individuals on the planet and that was no exaggeration. At least twice before, the threat of sending Nico in had caused hostile forces to surrender. He was more capable than she was at protecting himself. But he was still her brother and she worried terribly about him. Finding out she had a brother was one of the most amazing moments of her life. But when he had been sent on mission a few days later and Hazel worried if she would once again lose her family, a small part of her wished she had never found out.

She was almost certain that Nico felt the same way. When she left for work, there was a look in his eyes that hadn't been there before. But neither would ever say anything. Because it was worth it.

They arrived at CINES in the early afternoon, and after various security checks, finally made their way to the reception.  
"Good afternoon to you both" said the young man behind the desk. "How are you today?"  
"Good afternoon. We are doing well thank you. How are you?"  
"I am fine, thank you. How can I help you today?"

Hazel gestured towards Nico who had hung back, as they spoke.  
"This is Professor Marco Bianchi and I am Doctor Melanie Thalis. We have an invitation to use the resources of this facility today". The man checked his computer before smiling and nodding.  
"Yes madam I have both of your names right here" He had them both pose for pictures and gave them ID tags with their faces and names on them. As they walked away, Nico glanced at Hazel who nodded once.

A guide led them to the interface room where a few other people sat. Some were against the wall using the computers hardwired into the servers below. Others were on the tables with their own machines, cables leading from laptops to the high performance network.

Hazel and Nico sat on the table, making sure no one could see what was on their screens. Not even the cameras dotted around the room. Hazel wired them in and within seconds they were working.  
"I've never had a supercomputer at my disposal before" Hazel muttered with glee.  
"I know for a fact that you have" her brother disagreed. Hazel glared at him.  
"I was working then and stop keeping tabs on me".  
"No".

Hazel reran everything they had done yesterday and it went so much quicker. Partly because they had already done it but also because the sheer power at her command made everything go faster. Her code burned along virtual pathways, tracing her enemies route back through every dark corner they tried to hide in. Some trails still vanished. There was nothing they could do about that but this time instead of mostly half remaining a mystery, this time it was less than twenty trails that hadn't been cracked.

Hazel and Nico leaned closer and parsed through the new data.  
"A few new cities popping up" Nico observed. "But mostly it's reinforcing what we learned yesterday". Hazel nodded in agreement.  
"Trying to break the last ones would be a waste of time I think".  
"Agreed. So what's next".  
Hazel looked over at her brother.  
"We know a single organisation has been bringing all these markets together. And they have access to a lot of money and weapons and influence all over the world. But we don't know why or who. I'm guessing all these will lead back to various businesses owned by other businesses ad nauseum. The next step is to find out who the players are and what they're up to".

They both got back to work, taking advantage of the Occigen supercomputer while they had it. They quickly compiled a list of companies that they could research at their leisure back home. When they had as many as they could find they left. The moment they got in the car, Hazel wiped every trace of them from the facility. Every frame from the cameras as well as the image they had taken of them both at the front desk; Nico's face was more classified than the JFK files. Once again, Nico drove all the way home and when they got back it was past midnight. Hazel collapsed on the couch and countered Nico's arguments to take the bed by falling asleep.

"Hazel, the Occigen just went down". The sound of her name had her fully alert and the news was completely understood and not at all welcome.  
"When?" Her brain was alert but her voice was not.  
"A few hours after we left", her brother said. "I didn't check when we got back. That was my mistake. Occigen are reporting a complete systems failure". Hazel stumbled off the couch and into the bathroom. A few minutes later she came out much more capable of dealing with whatever was happening.  
"They tracked all their breaches to the same place and organised a remote overload of a supercomputer. That takes either a billion hacker all attacking the same place at the same time or a more powerful supercomputer".

Nico shrugged. "Does it matter? We know they have both manpower and resource and influence. Both of those things could be possible. Hell they could have people inside Anonymous". Hazel flinched at his words. "What? Do you work with them?"  
"No but they tried once to recruit me", she confessed.  
"Then you're fine. They only every try to recruit someone once. After that they blacklist you and enforce a strict no contact policy". This time it was Hazels turn to look intrigued.  
"Have you worked inside Anonymous?" Nico's only response was a wry grin.  
"We need to find out where those companies lead to and who's at the top of them. But it's not safe to do it from here. It'll compromise your home". Hazel could tell he wasn't that worried but she was.  
"It's fine. I've got several and they're all burnable".

Hazel watched anxiously as her brother booted up his machine and proceeded to backtrace the shell companies with full knowledge that any protection he used wouldn't keep them safe. "I'm not going to do all the work you know". Rolling her eyes, Hazel turned her own laptop on and got to work. His place was already compromised, there wasn't much point in being subtle anymore.

They both worked for hours, going through company after company, following trail after trail. The sun rose, peaked and set while they dismantled corporate structures. They didn't seem like they were making progress until a message popped up on her screen.

 _Hello again Ms Levesque_  
_Please stop what you are doing_  
_It's terribly inconvenient_

Hazel jerked backwards as her foe, once again, managed to find their way into her device. She silently grabbed Nico's attention and pointed at her screen. Thankfully she'd permanently disabled her camera and mic but there was no harm in being careful. Nico read the messages, his face growing darker with every word and the implications behind them.

He too didn't want to risk anything and grabbed a pen and paper.  
"Answer!" he wrote hastily.

**I have no idea what you're talking about**

Nico rolled his eyes as she played dumb. Hazel punched his shoulder.

 _Yes you do_  
_You and Mr di Angelo have been analysing your floating code_  
_Then you used Occigan in an attempt to find our identities_  
_And are currently attempting to unravel the various shell corporations between you and us_

  
**That's some mighty fine detective work you got there buddy boy**

 __"__ Buddy boy?" Hazel took the pen and threw it across the room.

 **But let me try a little of that Sherlock Holmes shit**  
**Over the last several years, your organisation has been buying into every illegal trade there is**  
**That's when you came across my trawlers**  
**The only way you could detect them is if you ran the KGB X63 codex across the NSA's quantum filter**  
**So you have people in both of those**  
**You also have access to Overwatch intel.**  
**Because they're the only ones on Earth who knew that Hazel Levesque is Centurion**  
**The only reason you'd consolidate now is that whoever you've been hiding from is not going to be a problem any longer**  
**So you've got a MAJOR play coming up**  
**And you think you're going to win**  
**How am I doing so far?**

There was silence from the other side and Nico waved his hand, encouraging her to continue. She grinned and kept going.

 **I** **'ll assume that means I'm doing well**  
**So if you're not afraid of the law that means you'll either become the law or bring down the law**  
**Or both**  
**So worst case we're talking new world order**  
**And there's no army that can fight the world**  
**So it's an implosion more than anything else amirite?**

Again there was nothing but silence. Nico chanced the quietest of whispers, leaning close to her ear.  
"Are they there?" Hazel nodded. Her sneaky little program was running, that meant the conversation was still active.

 **Well you're wrong**  
**You won't win**  
**Overwatch will stop you**

  
_Goodbye Ms Levesque_

The computer went dark. It was so sudden and so unexpected that she jumped. The Reaper obviously didn't move a muscle. Then, in the complete darkness, he jumped to his feet and startled Hazel all over again.  
"Why is it dark?" Hazel caught on immediately and ran with her brother to the windows.

The entirety of Paris was dark. Not a single electrical light shone.

Hazel could hear sirens as alarm systems switched to battery backups and sounded out a potential intruder. Torchlight and candlelight began to appear in various windows as Parisians opened doors and looked out of windows hoping that they weren't the only ones without power.  
"They shut down the entirety of Paris", Hazel said. "How is that even possible? Paris must be fed from several power stations".  
"These guys must've shut them all down but that's not something they can just 'do'. They must have had this capability before and only now needed to use it". He turned from the window to face his sister and in the darkness, Hazel could finally understand how people could be afraid of him. "Congratulations Hazel. You got to them".

Hazel didn't feel as if her achievement was worthy of praise and wondered about the chaos that would run through the city. Paris was the city of lights. Full of class and culture. Beauty and romance. But now the lights were off. And in the dark, all of the monsters would come out to play. And it was Hazels fault.

She turned and headed towards the door.  
"You coming?" She didn't see Nico grin wildly before following her to the car.

Hazel tried getting into the passenger seat but Nico shook his head.  
"First you need to arm up". He opened the trunk and showed her the armament within. Hazel was impressed.  
"A trunk worthy of the Winchesters. Now all you need is a '67 Chevy Impala". Even in the darkness she could tell he was blushing. "I can't believe you have a '67 Chevy Impala".

Hazel instinctively reached for the rifle, her weapon of choice, but checked herself; she couldn't start a gunfight on the street of Paris. She opted instead for the baseball bat and sat with it inside the car. Nico joined her a few seconds later after slipping a knife into his boot. First they drove around the immediate area and then in an ever increasing radius.

They saw people peeking through windows and hurriedly shutting the curtains. Hazel always felt guilty when she saw them but there was always another group of people who had started talking, laughing and partying with their neighbours. These made her feel a little better. Then she saw the first monster.

She caught a glimpse of a figure down an alleyway that was darker than it should have been (thanks to her). Nico stopped the car and they hurtled towards the figure who was trying to climb through a window. Nico used his height and gripped their ankle before giving them a yank and jerking them from the window and onto the ground. They screamed and Hazel twisted her fingers in the long hair and pulled their head back.

It was a young woman, but the rage on her face made her seem much older. She was snarling and twisting, trying to escape their grip. Trying to, Hazel realised, reach for the knife she had dropped.  
"He thinks he can just leave me? I'll carve my name into his chest! Let me go you black bitch!" Hazel tapped her bat against her head and Nico let her drop to the ground. A head poked out of the open window and gasped forcing Hazel to quickly explain the situation.  
"We can't leave her outside. She may get attacked". The man's face was clearly torn but he relented and let them bring her in his home.

Back in the car they kept going. Around and around in bigger and bigger circles. There were a lot of petty break ins, vandalism and the like. They stopped all they could see but Paris was a big city.  
"What makes Paris special?" Hazel asked after they foiled the tagging of a residential building.  
"You mean apart from the food, the fashion, the culture, the history, th-"  
"You know what I mean".  
"I was just trying to lighten the mood. Yes I know and the answer is probably nothing".  
"Agreed. So why did they just happen to have the key to the whole power grid?"  
"Either Paris is special for a reason we don't know...".  
"Or Paris isn't special", finished Hazel. "And they can do this all over the world". They shared a worried look just as they turned a corner and found a building ablaze. It was a three storey residential building that was had flames coming out of every window.

They hurried out and ran towards a group on onlookers watching the fire. Several were on their mobiles to the fire service but Hazel had seen the traffic; she knew they wouldn't get here in time. Without missing a step, Hazel and Nico sprinted past the crowd and charged straight into the building. Nico ran up the stairs, moving so fast he caused the flames to flicker as he ran past. Hazel ducked into the rooms on the ground floor, screaming for anyone but it was empty.

She carried on up the stairs and into the first floor and the heat was intense. The flames danced everywhere in a writhing pattern of life and death. The smoke filled the air but there was enough oxygen to breathe, even if every gasp burned her lungs. There were two apartments on this floor and Hazel shot through one of the doorways.

Thankfully it was a small place; only a kitchen/living room and a bedroom off to the side.  
"HELLO! IS THERE ANYONE HERE?" A small part of Hazel noticed that her French wasn't as good when she shouted and made a mental note to work on it. A cry cut through the ill-timed thoughts and Hazel burst through the door, shattering it into splinters. There, huddled on the floor under a blanket was a mother and her two kids.

Hazel ran to them and wrapped her arms around them all. It was not an easy feat as her arm span was not that great. But she managed well enough and dragged them up to their feet. She lead them out of their home, down the steps, which by now were almost non-existent and then outside.

The cool air was like the purest water, caressing her face and flowing down her throat with every breath. Soothing her body and calming her soul. People from the crowd ran forwards and helped her in getting the family away from the fire. She turned and saw Nico hurtle from the building, herding two adults and carrying three kids.

Hazel sprinted back towards the building and as she crested the stairs the entire entrance collapsed on itself followed by the stairs. But that was a problem she couldn't fix so she ignored it and headed for the second apartment. The door was locked and it took her three tries to break it down. The moment the door broke, the fire roared like a monster, feeding on the fresh fuel inside. Hazel was knocked to the ground, singed and light headed. She was coughing but managed to get back to her feet. She stayed low and entered the home.

There was a couple in bed but they were long dead. She shouted, hoarsely, in case there was anyone else but there was- wait!

Hazel, body renewed, lunged forwards and grabbed the cat tight from where it was cowering behind a desk. It yowled and scratched but Hazel didn't care. She flung open the window and saw Nico on the ground waiting for her. She scrambled out and jumped away from the building and fell into a tree down below.

It wasn't a far fall but after the fire, it was not the best experience. Her, Nico and the cat trudged out from behind the building and emerged on the road where the emergency services had finally arrived. When the crowd saw them, they began applauding even as they screamed and cried. Thankfully the first ones to get to them were the paramedics.

Both Nico and Hazel took a grateful hit from the oxygen tank, breathing deeply and letting themselves rest. The crowd then approached while they were sitting in the ambulance, praising their actions. And then the would be victims moved from their ambulances to sit with their saviours. Hazel and Nico accepted their kind words and one of the families accepted the cat in return. Eventually they got back in the car and decided to head back home under the light of the rising sun.

When they were safely back in Nico's home they looked at each other. In that glance was everything they needed to say to each other and after a simple nod, they both collapsed on the couch and slept. And in the morning they began to pack. In Hazels case it wasn't much. Only what she had brought with her from the States. So she stuffed it all back into her bag and dressed in clothes that didn't smell of smoke before dropping back on the couch and waiting for Nico to be done.

Without any warning a voice filled the apartment, echoing off every surface. Or perhaps that was just how it felt to Hazel to hear those words.

__"OVERWATCH RECALL ACTIVATED"_ _

The mechanical voice filled her with so many emotions. Shock. Terror. Pain. But also joy. Elation. Wonder.

She jumped to her feet and ran to the bedroom just as Nico flew out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel. He dropped down in front of a small console and began pressing buttons and then, straight from her past and her dreams, Chiron's voice came.  
"Reaper. Go secure".  
"Going secure".

Nico didn't even bother shooting Hazel an apologetic glance. He simply plugged in a pair of headphones and flipped a few switches.  
"Go ahead sir". Nico focussed intently for a few seconds then nodded. "Understood sir. Reaper out". Without a second thought he turned the machine off and removed his headphones.

Hazel's jaw dropped.

"What did you do that for!" She exclaimed, smacking him on the shoulder. "I wanted to talk to him!"  
"He didn't even know you're here", Nico defended. "He had orders and I am to carry them out". Hazel stared at him for a few seconds.  
"Well, what are they?"  
"I am to swing by Louisiana on my way back to base and find you", Nico looked at her strangely. "Hey Hazel. Quick question. Why does Chiron think you're in Louisiana?"  
"Because when I came to France, I had a Ghost go there".

Hazel's Ghosts were one of her side projects that turned out to be immensely useful. It had grown out of a job she'd had to trace missing people. Eventually the Watcher in her wondered how to turn this to an advantage and she created a series of code to mimic the electrical habits of a person without that person being there. Tickets, purchases, ATM visits; she began giving them to people who needed to escape abusive lives. These Ghosts, when properly set up, could fool anyone into thinking you were someplace you weren't.

 _ _Almost anyone__ she thought angrily, remembering how her enemy had found her.  
"Ok well since I know where you are we can head straight to Long Island then. Chiron needs us back at base".  
"We can't go yet".  
"What are you talking about?" The look on Nico's face was as close to confused as she had ever seen it. "We have our orders and just five minutes ago we were packing to go back to base. What's changed?"

Hazel grinned widely and threw her arms in the air.  
"Everything! Everything has changed! We were going back to base so that we could tell Chiron about the bad guys. But Chiron already knows. There is no way Paris goes dark and Chiron recalls Overwatch for two different reasons. We have a little time for me to get more information". Nico crossed his arms and looked up at his sister.  
"And where are we going?"  
"Germany. I have a space there set up for some good work. Why are you in a towel?"  
"I was having a shower. I told you to have one but you refused. Remember?"

Hazel did remember and longed for a shower. But she had no clean clothes so decided to wait until she did. Besides, she'd been dirtier than this.  
"Finish your shower and get dressed. We're going to a castle".

__

Neuschwanstein Castle was perfect. It was graceful and soaring. Reaching from the depths of fairytales to the cloudy skies. Nestled within the mountains, there was beauty in every direction for miles around. From the snow capped peaks to the multihued forests and the rivers running through them. The castle itself suited the surroundings perfectly. No blocky military fortress but rather a white walled and blue roofed monument to a dream. And each room inside was perfectly opulent and delicately furnished. To see a beautiful woman in a ballgown would not seem out of place here.

But Hazel didn't come here for the beauty. She came here because this spot was, by perfect accident, one of the few locations on Earth that wasn't observed by any satellite. Very few people knew this as it required all trajectories of every satellite in orbit. Something no government had. It had taken her years to get her hideaway set up just how she liked it but it was perfect.

Hazel sat in a large cavern and tapped away at another disposable laptop. She wasn't worried about being traced back this time. From the very source of her network connection to her computer, every part of it was untraceable. It had been days since they had left Paris and each one that passed brought her one step closer to what they were trying to hide from her.

She still didn't know who they were.

Nico was taking advantage of the fact that the most dangerous person outside of this room within fifty miles was the vendor selling very unhealthy food at absurdly high prices.  
"Five euros for a pretzel? Are they insane?" He had returned with a stack of them which probably explained his sour mood. When he wasn't going out to supplement the basic rations of the cave, he was either exercising or sleeping. Hazel had time for neither of those but she slept when Nico forced her to.

Every waking hour was spent at her computer, piecing together the puzzle they had begun in Paris. All the companies they had found seemed completely unconnected. Not even the smallest hints of any sort of greater plan. So she dug sideways. Not trying to connect the companies but rather follow the money. It passed through many different countries before coming together in one big pot. Excited, Hazel continued to follow it and watched as it separated into seven different revenue streams.

"Why seven?" she muttered to herself. She tracked each one individually, jumping from one to another after a few seconds just in case she set off a snooper. It was slow going, and Hazel worked her way through a fresh stack of pretzels, but she made progress. Things were starting to come together. Not the big picture, not by any means. Not even a small picture. It was more like a phantom image. A residual burn left behind on her retinas. Something that was-

She gasped. A document had flashed across her screen. The simplest of glimpses. The shortest of glances. The image of the screen, stuck in her mind, allowing her to read the paragraph even as her computer burst into flames.

Hazel was still in shock even as Nico dragged her away from the fire and put it out.  
"Hazel! Hazel are you ok?" She looked at her brother and stood up.  
"We need to get to Long Island now". Nico didn't even bother nodding. He just grabbed their packed bags and they ran towards the exit.


	10. Welcome Home

The bag of food was so hot it was steaming. Clearly fresh from the chef and based on how long it took Annabeth to get to the takeaway, she figured she had a ten minute window before the food became so cold it was inedible. Not that it mattered, she thought as she followed the man who followed the woman but it was good to keep track of all things.

This guy seemed perfectly normal. Good clean clothes and formal shoes. But Annabeth pegged him straight away. She had seen that look in his eyes far too many times. Being a woman in the military had invited far too much attention. Being an expert in all things sword related had gotten rid of it just as fast. But not every woman had that advantage.

The woman he was following was cute. She was about twenty and dressed for the gym, hair in a ponytail and headphones in her ears. Her gym bag bounced against her leg with every stride and her head bobbed with her music. Already getting into the zone.

The man spoke on his phone but Annabeth could tell that it wasn't a real phone call. There were too many general phrases.  
"Yeah".  
"Mhmm".  
"Sure that sounds good".

Real conversations were much more detailed, even the simple ones. Annabeth had several of real conversations memorised for just that purpose. The man had increased his pace just a little. Not much to be noticeable to anyone else but Annabeth picked up on it immediately. Half a second later she figured out his entire plan and decided to kill him for it. One less rapist in the world was a good thing. The man sped up and just as he passed the woman, he lunged sideways and forced her down into a dark alley. Annabeth looked around as she ran forwards; not one person noticed. No one thought anything of it. It sickened her. By the time she made the alleyway the woman had been knocked to the floor and was backing away while the man was advancing. He didn't realise Annabeth was here until her knife slipped between his ribs; she'd made sure to put the food down first.

He let out a little gasp and a moan as the air left his lungs all at once. Annabeth twisted the knife and drove it in deeper, just nicking the heart. The man collapsed to the ground, gravity doing all the work as his heart stopped. Annabeth wiped the blade on the back of his jacket and put it away, offering her hand to the young woman on the ground. She seemed no longer scared. Confused yes, and definitely shaken. But not scared. Annabeth guided her back to the main road and helped her catch her bus.

The food would be a little cold, she figured as she got back on her bike. Her husband wouldn't care.

 

"Honestly woman. I'm lying here half dead and you bring back cold egg rolls? What did I do to you?" Percy Jackson complained as he lay on their bed in the motel. His ribs wrapped up tight and needing at least one day of rest.  
"You married me. Everything that happens after is your fault".  
"How is that fair?" he asked, trying to sit up. Annabeth walked over and put a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to stay lying down.  
"It's not fair". Kneeling at his side, she kissed him softly and briefly before running her hands across his face. Percy lay there, letting her centre herself on him for a few seconds before reaching for the bag. It was still warm.  
"Help me up". Slowly she wrapped her arms around his shoulder and eased him upright and then to his feet. Annabeth opened the bag and brought out the food, starting to eat just as he came out of the bathroom.

They had left Tampico behind intending to ride straight from there to New York, but Percy's ribs had started to complain. His compression suit had helped but he couldn't breathe properly and he couldn't get to his target speed. Percy stuck it out for several hours but Annabeth knew he wasn't doing well. Even though he spoke regularly through their helmet coms, every message was short and quiet. Annabeth called it just past Houston. She headed towards a motel and knew Percy wouldn't argue. They took a room and Annabeth forced Percy on the bed before examining him.

Thankfully, the skin wasn't broken or bulging in anyway so Annabeth wrapped him tight to keep the bones from shifting. He grimaced while she did it but felt the relief almost immediately. There was a big difference between a compression suit and a expertly wrapped set of bandages.  
"My guardian angel" he said, bringing her hand to his lips.  
"Some guardian. I let you get shot".  
"It wasn't your fault. But if you feel that bad, you can make it up to me with Chinese food".

As Percy ambled over and sat next to his wife, he demolished an egg roll and then smiled.  
"You're forgiven"

Annabeth rolled her eyes before they automatically glanced down at his ribs. Every few seconds or every time he moved she looked at his injury. Not expecting to see anything but at the same time hoping she didn't see anything. He needed serious healing time or a healing machine but neither was available.  
"Do you think you'll be fine to ride tomorrow?" Percy shrugged as he ate.  
"It's not like we have a choice now. We need to get back to base".

Annabeth nodded slowly. They did need to get back, but with Percy the way he was, it was going to take longer. They had to plan it out. The route and the stops because he would need a proper place to rest. They sat together slowing making their way through the food she bought and soon they were done, wiping the grease from their mouths.

It took them awhile to fall asleep. They lay next to each other, not saying much but occasionally, brushing their hands against each other. Annabeth wanted to curl up against her husband but didn't want to risk making his injuries worse. In the end she settled for running her fingers through his hair; an action that soothed them both. They woke up as they always did. Far too early than they liked but exactly when they should. Annabeth brushed her teeth as she watched her husband stretching gingerly. Slowly he eased himself into the more challenging positions but there was always the grimace of pain on his face. He took deep breathes, pushing his injury against the tightness of his bandages. He was getting used to the pain so it didn't catch him off guard later.

Eventually they were back on their bikes and this time there was no racing or showboating. They stayed close to each other and well within the speed limit, even when there were no speed cameras and miles of road ahead. They had been on the road for two hours when a reminder popped up on Annabeth's HUD.  
"We have a stop coming up in five miles".  
"I'm good to keep going" she heard her husband say.  
"No you're not. We're stopping". Percy didn't reply but when they approached the little car park at the side of the road he pulled in as she did. They parked at the far end of the space which was pointless as they were the only two there.

"We can't stop so often Annabeth" he said the moment both helmets were off. Percy stood tall next to his state of the art bike but Annabeth could tell that the pain was worse than this morning.  
"We have to when riding is doing more damage to your ribs". She squared up to him which forced her to tilt her head upwards.  
"We don't have time to do this Annabeth! The world is going to shit and these stops aren't going to help me heal up!"  
"The world is always going to shit Percy! There may be a time where we have to risk it all but that is NOT now!"

Percy turned away from his wife and, instead of taking his arm and dragging him back, she walked around to glare at him. "Your ribs need a break Percy. _You_ need a break. You're not letting anyone down by taking a bit longer". He didn't say anything so she intertwined her fingers with his. "You got shot. You need to heal".  
"I got myself shot. I can deal with the pain but we need to get back".

Annabeth couldn't see anything in his eyes nor hear anything in his voice but she knew what was wrong with him. They hadn't had any time to deal with the fact that Percy had been shot. They had both been shot at hundreds of times but between the two of them they had only actually been shot three times. They relied on their skills and their experience and their training to keep them out of the way of the bullets. But sometimes the world was against them and the shots landed.

"You're alive. We're together" Annabeth pushed forwards until she was chest to chest with her husband. Her own hands started to tremble as she allowed herself to explore the fact that he had almost died.  
"I'm sorry" he whispered. Ignoring the pain he must have felt, Percy wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "I almost left you. That's the one thing we swore never to do to each other and I almost did it".

Annabeth buried her face against his shoulder, all the worry and stress she'd felt since seeing him go down came back up from where she'd suppressed it. Tears poured out of her eyes as she cried which was made worse as she felt Percy start to cry. Because she knew he wasn't crying over the fact that he almost died. He was crying because he felt like he'd failed her. He was thinking about how he'd almost left her alone. She knew that because, the last time Annabeth got shot, that's what went through her head. Percy thought he had let her down by getting hit and, to be honest, a part of her _was_ angry.

It was irrational yes, but she was angry that he hadn't been more careful. She knew that there was nothing he could have done to prevent it, that sometimes these things just happened. But Annabeth was still angry, and when she pulled back, Percy knew it.  
"I'm so sorry Annie"

The tears in his bright green eyes and the sorrow in his voice melted her anger away. Hurting her was the last thing Percy would ever do. She pulled him down gently and they kissed. A simple act of love and friendship between two people whose lives were wonderfully tangled together. Separating, they dried their eyes and looked at each other. Just...appreciating. Five minutes later they were back on the bikes and when the next stop came up, there was no argument.

***

The stabs of razor sharp pain weren't the worst thing. The worst thing was forgetting about the broken ribs and taking a deep breathe, which was then followed by stabs of razor sharp pain. Closely following that was the dull constant ache. Every five minutes, Percy revised the list of things that sucked about getting injured.

This was not his first injury, not by a long shot. He had been stabbed and slashed and had once caught the business end of a grenade. Percy was no stranger to pain, neither of them were. But very few of the injuries he'd taken had been life threatening. And almost nothing had happened to him since he and Annabeth had gotten together. The jobs they had taken had all been relatively safe and had been meticulously planned out; the perks of being married to Annabeth. This had been the first time he had been in real danger since they became a couple. Annabeth had almost been shot a few years ago and the terror he had felt then still woke him up some nights.

He would lurch into consciousness and frantically search for his wife, his heart racing in the moments before he glimpsed her body next to his. There was nothing so terrible as that feeling. Except the feeling of having failed your wife and leaving her alone, when that was the one thing they had always said they would not do.

They had made that promise on the day they had gotten married. There had been no lavish affair, no ceremony or reception. It was just a stopover. The two of them had been planning to get out for a few months when Overwatch fell. As such they had a house bought and paid for as well as a good idea of how they wanted to go about leaving. Fleeing from the wreckage of their disgraced organisation had not been one of them.

 

Tired, both physically and emotionally, they had made their way towards their new home and on the way they stopped at the house of an old friend.  
"Percy! Annabeth! What happened to you two?" Rachel had exclaimed when she opened her door at 2am and found the two of them looking like they had dragged themselves out from under a building.  
"Oh just the usual Rachel. Coups, betrayal and death. Can we come in?" Rachel answered Percy's question by stepping aside. The couple walked into the foyer of the large house and leaned against a dresser, exhausted.  
"What have you guys been doing?"  
"You'll read it in tomorrows news Rachel" Annabeth said. "This is more of a flying visit. Are you still ordained?"

Rachel's eyes flew open at the implication before nodding.  
"Excellent. Marry us". Rachel looked from Annabeth to Percy and back and saw no hesitation anywhere.  
"This is...I can't just...Witnesses! I need witnesses and it's 2am". Percy just grinned.  
"Did you know there's a 24 hour pizza place just down the road?"  
"And they deliver" Annabeth smiled as widely as Percy did when a pair of headlights shone through Rachel's front window.

So there, in Rachel's unreasonably opulent study, with a pizza guy and a burger guy in attendance, Percy and Annabeth got married. Rachel was long past being surprised when they wanted to read their own vows.

"Annabeth, in the last day my entire life has been turned upside down and inside out. Everything that I thought I knew turned out to be false. Except you. You've always been true. I trust you more than my own eyes and ears. You're my future and I promise never to leave you behind". Her eyes sparkled at his words, simple though they were.  
"Percy, I thought I was happy without you. I thought I needed no one else. And when I grew to love you I realised that love wasn't the highest of emotion. It was the lowest. The most fundamental. Right now everything has been torn apart but with you here, I know I'll be ok. You're my ground and I swear we'll always be together".

All that was left were the formalities. That and the ring. Percy pulled out a small jewellery box and from it pulled out a simple but perfect ring. It was an emerald, the exact shade as Percy's eyes. Annabeth held out her left hand as he slipped it on and admired it while holding back tears.

The delivery guys signed as witnesses, offered confused congratulations and accepted extravagant tips before leaving the three of them alone. The newlyweds held each other on the couch while Rachel faced them from a chair. The pizza and burgers were demolished, mostly by the two soldiers. Rachel ate a slice to be polite.  
"What happened to you guys?" She asked over and over again but they wouldn't talk about what had happened to them. They would only shake their heads. Eventually she stopped asking anything. By 3am, the married couple left, apologising to their friend and heading into the night. "Hey guys!" she called out. The pair of them turned and caught what she has thrown.

A lollipop. One each.

"Happy Halloween"

 

Percy let thoughts of the best and worse day of his life fill his head as they made their way towards base. Marrying her had been the easiest decision he had ever made. Once they had stopped dancing around each other, he realised that they were made for each other. The best of friends who found each other stupidly attractive. In a very real way, Annabeth made him whole.  
"Hey you've been quiet for a while. You good?" Even her voice sounding in his ear while they rode down a highway made him feel better.  
"I'm fine. Just thinking about our wedding". He heard her snort and grinned.  
"I can't believe our wedding feast was a deep dish pepperoni pizza and hamburgers".  
"I can't believe we forgot the chicken strips".  
Her laugh, he decided, was the best sound ever.

"What do you think about doing it for real?"  
"You mean a full on wedding?" He could hear all the different emotions in her voice; he had to remember to compliment Leo on the setup.  
"Yeah. When this is all over, we do it right. A nice place, all our friends, a few enemies. Chiron can even walk you down the aisle". The silence told him she was considering it and it made him happy. Neither of them cared about the stereotypical trappings of the day but both regretted that the people closest to them hadn't been there.  
"We'll talk about it later" Percy grinned even wider. "Wipe that look off of your face Jackson. Just because I married you doesn't mean we have a wedding. There's another stop in about ten miles".

Percy, still smiling, let her take the lead and once again they parked at the back of the lot. However the day was well and truly underway and, along with the increased traffic on the road, there were several other cars in the lot.  
"Let's get some food".

It was another mediocre meal at some random food chain but it did the job. Percy had to eat slower than normal, something which caused an endless amount of teasing from his wife.  
"Based on where we are, we should get back to base sometime tomorrow" she said, stealing a fry from his plate. Percy allowed the theft as eating his food caused his ribs to twinge more than was enjoyable.  
"What if we took a little detour?" he asked leaning back to ease the feeling. "Past a little house on a big hill". Annabeth looked at him, deep in thought.  
"I was thinking that as well to be honest".  
"We swing by, make a subtle approach and see who's watching our home". Annabeth squinted at him suspiciously.  
"Are you proposing this to gain intel or to kill the people who are there?"  
"Does it have to be one or the other?" Percy laughed and Annabeth smiled almost reluctantly.  
"I'd love to go teach them a lesson on squatting in someone else's home, but I'd either do it alone or with my fully healed husband".

Percy sobered up a little. He could still fight if he needed to, but he'd be half a second slow and that is all it would take for someone to get the drop on them. Not only that but Annabeth would be distracted and she would be more likely to get hurt. And that would be unforgivable.  
"I'll run command on this while you have the fun. How does that sound?" Percy could literally see the stress and worry ease from his wife and his heart hurt to think of how afraid she had been for him.  
"That sounds exactly like you. Sitting back while I do all the heavy lifting". Her beautiful smile belied her words and Percy did what he did approximately eight times a day; he fell in love with her all over again. She blushed, something that he knew she hated and Percy loved being the only one who could get her to do it.

They flirted some more over the remains of their food before strolling back to their rides, hand in hand. Once there helmets were on they began to talk in more detail about their incursion. It was best not to discuss infiltration and assassination in a restaurant off of the highway.  
"Pull up a map for Brownstone Hill. Five mile radius" Annabeth said the moment her helmet was down. They both worked their on board computers until they were looking at a detailed map of their once home in Washington.  
"If we take this route", Annabeth's map began to move on its own, mirroring what Percy was doing to his, "then we can get reasonably close to the Hill without crossing any cameras. And I can hole up here and run command from the helmet". He highlighted a derelict but secure building on the map, a mile away from Brownstone Hill.  
"That sounds good", his wife's voice said into his ear. "I'll recon the area and do what I do".  
"I'd rather you do what I do but with sharp bits of metal".

A man walking through the lot to his car, saw one motorcyclist try to kick another. He walked on.

Percy couldn't stop laughing but he managed it when the pain from his ribs made his eyes water.  
"Ow" he groaned, still smirking.  
"You deserve that. Ass". Percy wisely chose not tor respond, instead finding a route from where they were to where they needed to go.  
"4 hours to Washington. We get there, bed down and we can start at dawn?" He took her silence as agreement and the GPS system displayed their route on their HUDs. They peeled off smoothly and silently, making their way back home.

 

Apart from a small accident on the highway which they flew through, the journey was simple. No tails and no gunfights. They holed up at their base and made a little camp on the ground floor. A clear but hidden exit was the first thing they set up. Then they took inventory.  
"In terms of weaponry" Percy said as he rested on the ground, "we have your knives and your sword. Both our SIGs. Hundred rounds of ammo I snagged from Leo's. That's it".  
"I'll take the blades and we'll split the ammo. If I need more I'll farm from the bodies". Percy gave her a look.  
"Recon comes first. Then you start dropping bodies". Annabeth returned the look but with far more anger; clearly she hadn't forgotten his referring to her blades as 'sharp bits of metal'.  
"Recon necessitates dropping bodies Percy. Don't try to give me advice unless it's on how to get shot".

Percy couldn't help it, he laughed out loud. The glare melted away from Annabeth's face but she stubbornly tried to keep from smiling. It only made him laugh harder which abruptly stopped when the injury to his ribs made itself known. It sobered him up a little. He scrambled together a few meals from the emergency rations they had packed just after their home had been attacked. _So much as happened in so little time_.

Percy was still trying to process Luke's betrayal as well as some global evil conspiracy on top of Overwatch coming back. Throwing in a near death experience and it was a bit of a mindfuck. So he focused on preparing the food. Instant pasta for dinner and porridge for breakfast. He had never hated a phrase more than 'Just add water!'

As he stirred, he watched his wife sink into that special place she went when she took care of her weapons. Percy didn't know how to describe it, but he could only assume it was similar to where he went when preparing for battle. It was half meditative and half religious. As he buckled his armour into place and wrapped up his wrists, they were the only things that mattered in that moment. There was nothing else. No war, no fight, not even a wife. The universe consisted of just him and his battle gear.

It was a holy time.

It may not have been exactly the same thing for Annabeth but it was just as important. With love and respect, she cleaned and oiled every inch of her sword after checking it for any signs of damage. Then she did the same thing for her daggers. She held them in her hand and felt their balance. Annabeth watched them intently, as if communing. Percy didn't even think about interrupting. Eventually every blade was sheathed and her gun was given an equally thorough, but not as intense, cleaning. And when she had finished with that, was when Percy handed her the bowl of food.

With a smile she took it and joined him around their small cooking fire which revealed far too much detail about the place they were currently inhabiting.

They were clearly not the first people to stay there. What could only be described as nests, were scattered around the space as well as the detritus of the homeless. Scrounged food from garbage cans and torn rags and newspapers for insulation. Thankfully there was no one squatting there at the moment so Percy and Annabeth had as much privacy as they were going to get.

Annabeth came and sat down next to Percy and began to eat her food. Percy joined her and they ate in silence. Privacy they may have, but there was still an enemy force a mile away and they had both learned the hard way that it was never a good idea to tempt fate. Once they had finished, Percy dimmed the fire and they laid back against their packs doing nothing but sitting. An arm around each other as they stared into the flames.

"You good to go for tomorrow?" Percy asked into the night. He felt her nod and was at ease. He slowed his breathing down as Annabeth drifted off to sleep. First watch was his and she'd wake for the second and be fully alert for her mission. Their bikes were set to scan the perimeter so he didn't really have to do much. So Percy Jackson tightened his hold of his wife and nestled into her warmth. It was a cold night.

***

Annabeth was tempted to let her husband sleep longer but they needed to move. She crouched next to him after completing her stretches for the fight ahead. As always, he had woken her up long after he should have. Allowing her to get as much sleep as he could. Annabeth placed her palm on his cheek and he instinctively turned towards it. Smiling, she caressed his skin with her thumb, slowly bringing him closer and closer to waking until his eyes opened and that green made her day whole.  
"Rise and shine" she said, palm still against his face. He smiled softly at her and stretched gently, flinching when his ribs woke up as well. The pain he felt brought them both back to reality and Annabeth held out her hand to help him up. He did what he did in the mornings while she continued checking her supplies and packing their bags. Percy came back and set up his command centre; they both put their helmets on.  
"Annabeth. Comms check. Loud and clear?"  
"Loud and clear Percy. Good to go".  
"You always are".

They removed the headgear long enough to share a kiss before Annabeth mounted her bike and flew out of their hideaway. She had plotted a route to her home that would take her as close as possible before she had to go on foot. She followed the GPS perfectly and was soon parking up to go on foot.

They had both known their forest would be filled with cameras and sensors given that they had used it to escape when they first came. Annabeth would use the suburban forest to hide her approach. She crept from backyard to backyard, shimmying over fences and diving over shrubbery. Thankfully most people were still asleep but there were a few who rose early enough that she had to evade them. One particular man was performing yoga in his back garden and when he moved into downward dog, Annabeth stole across the grass and was gone before he looked up at the sound of footsteps.

She slowly made her way towards Brownstone Hill, slowing even more when it came into sight.  
"I can see the hill and the house at the top" she said into her mic.  
"How does it look?" Annabeth frowned.  
"What do you mean 'how does it look?'"  
"I mean how much are we going to have to do to fix it?" Annabeth rolled her eyes and didn't answer. She stayed where she was and analysed what was before her.

There was no obvious sign of a patrol which meant they were trying to keep a low profile in the middle of the suburbs.  
There were an array of cameras and thermal sensors blanketing the grounds.  
Three soldiers were on watch from various parts of the house.

Annabeth patiently began to make her way around the hill, getting as full of a view as she could. Eventually she reached the place where it dropped off towards the forest below and, as they'd expected, it was full of it's own security and countermeasures.  
"Ok Percy. I've got a whole assortment of sensors both around the house and in the forest. See what you can pick up". Annabeth kept both eyes moving even as she listened to her husband talk to himself as he worked.  
"I can see them but I can only give you about five seconds. Is that enough?"  
"Hold on".

Annabeth moved into position and steadied herself.  
"Ready".  
"Three...Two...One...Go!" Annabeth launched herself forwards and sprinted towards her home. Her breathe misted in the cool morning air as she ran up the hill and took cover in a shadowy corner of the building. "Systems back up!" her husbands warning came just as she tucked herself away.  
"I'm clear" she panted slightly. Annabeth could hear no commotion at the temporary failure of the security so she assumed everything was fine. Still she waited several minutes before moving around to the back of the house.

There was no fencing around the garden, there had never been any need. It made it a lot easier for Annabeth to sneak around. The hole in the window hadn't been boarded up which Annabeth was also grateful for as she moved inside.

Her blood boiled as she saw what they had done to her home. The furniture was all broken as well as the TV and games consoles. The kitchen had been ransacked at some point as well. None of the damage looked new; Annabeth assumed it had happened the night they left. As she crept through the remains of her home, she heard Percy swear terribly, even for a soldier. He had let himself into her system and turned her camera on so he could see what she could.  
"Those motherfucking dickholes!"  
"Calm down Percy". He fell silent but Annabeth knew it wasn't because he had taken her advice and calmed down. It would have been because he didn't want to distract her while she was in danger.

She walked further inwards and then into the hallway. The once spotless floor was covered with dirt and mud, the wooden surface scratched. For the sake of her own temper, Annabeth chose not to look into the library. The ground floor was clear so she crept up the stairs, freezing when she heard conversation.  
"Anything?" One called out. Male. In the guest bedroom.  
"Nothing. Just like yesterday. And the day before!" Female. Master bedroom.  
"I have a good feeling about today!"  
"Just like yesterday! And the day before!" Male. Bathroom. Between all three rooms, you could get almost 360 degree visibility.  
"So sue me! I'm optimistic!"  
"Hi Optimistic. I'm Percy" Annabeth forced herself to suppress the absurd snort that tried to escape her nostrils. She managed to do it, but only just.

Optimistic kept on talking as Annabeth settled down on the stairs to listen and learn.  
"Percy keep an eye out for approaching tangos".  
"Copy that".

Every time Optimistic said something particularly happy, he would get shot down by both his colleagues but especially the man. Therefore he became Grumpy while the woman was christened Shorty. Annabeth just knew she was tiny.

They spoke a lot of nonsense in a short amount of time before they mentioned anything of interest.  
"When is the relief team scheduled to get here?" Annabeth perked up at Shorty's question.  
"Another hour. Then they get this shit duty and we get moved to active roles" Grumpy finally sounded excited about the prospect.  
"Where do you wanna go?"  
"Anywhere so long as it's not here and it's not guard duty for those bastards up top".  
"They are unstable but they get results" Optimistic chimed in. The other two laughed.  
"That may be the most insulting thing I've heard you say Danny" Shorty mocked.  
"I want to be on the Paris team" Danny said, ignoring Shorty. "I've always loved that city".  
"Then why would you want to go there?" asked Grumpy. "You're not going to admire the city. Quite the opposite actually".  
"I guess it's like if I had a dog and it was ill. I wouldn't pay for someone to put it down, I'd do it myself. Poor thing deserves that much".

There was silence both in the room and in the helmets.  
"I...that actually makes sense. In a very psychotic way" Grumpy commented.  
"I want to go to either Beijing or Tel Aviv. Any of the seven really". Annabeth's mind was racing. Cataloguing every possibility and sorting them by likelihood.

"Annabeth, you've got company". Percy's voice ripped her from her list and forced her into action. Grumpy in the bathroom would be the first to die. She ascended the stairs silently, drawing her knife as she did. Grumpy was a tall and broad soldier who died instantly as Annabeth's blade punched through his spinal cord.

Next came Shorty. Just as Annabeth expected, she was a diminutive woman with a heavily muscled body that she could see even with the body armour. Clearly she had compensated for her height, or lack thereof. Annabeth was in a slight hurry so she didn't know if Shorty heard a footstep or if she caught a reflection on the window, but before she was halfway across the room, the soldier turned around.

The knife left Annabeth's hand and slammed into Shorty's eyeball an instant later. The fact that the blade was long enough that it would push deep into the brain in such a situation had been a factor when she bought them. Shorty crumpled to the floor, her gun clattering as she did.

"Rodriguez? Chen? What's going on?" Danny called out and Annabeth heard footsteps as he moved to investigate. Timing it just right, Annabeth sprinted out of the room and bounced off of the bannister to charge straight into the last soldier. They both went tumbling to the ground. She rolled off him and drew her sword as she got to her feet. Danny kipped upright, swinging his gun around to shoot her but Annabeth had already moved. Ducking under his gun barrel, Annabeth stood up straight. Her sword had come with her and sliced his neck open.

Blood fountained and Danny fell to the ground.

"Ok you've got ten tangoes coming up to the house. They don't seem to be aware anything is wrong but that's gonna change fast". Percy began rattling off escape routes but Annabeth hushed him; she didn't have nearly as much information as she wanted. She heard the door open as she began searching Danny's body. He had the usual items for a soldier: grenade, knife, spare ammo, C4, electrical tape, pen but no scraps of intel.

Annabeth ran to Chen and then Rodriguez. It was she who carried the notepad tucked away in her vest. Annabeth didn't even flick through it. It was stuffed into her riding suit and she moved to the stairs to listen in on the newest set of uninvited house guests.

They moved around the ground floor, calling out for their recently deceased comrades. Knowing it was only a matter of seconds before she made their way up the stairs, Annabeth collected all the bricks of plastic explosive and taped them together before stabbing a remote detonator through the middle. As an afterthought, she attached the grenades to them as well.

"Annabeth what are you doing?" The worry and fear in his voice caused her hands to stumble but she persevered on. Setting the timer to five seconds and pulling her gun out.  
"I'm doing what needs to be done Percy".  
"But-"  
"The moment they came in through that door, this stopped being a safe space for us".  
"But it's our home".  
"No Percy. It's a house. _You're_ my home". It was silent for a few moments.  
"Goddamn that was smooth". Annabeth snorted. She couldn't help it with him. "You're right. Blow the damn thing up. No one fucks with us".  
"Lots of people fuck with us Jackson", she said activating the timer. "But they never do it twice".

Annabeth dropped the bomb over the bannister, letting it follow the same path Percy had taken the night this all began. She then turned and sprinted towards the windows in their former bedroom. Three bullets later and she jumped out just as the house shook from the explosion. The swordswoman rolled when she landed, twisting to prevent the hilt of her sword from catching on the ground. Annabeth spared a look backwards as the house she had lived in for five years went up in flames even as it began to fall in on itself. Despite her strong words, their was a rush of sadness that brought tears to her eyes.  
"It's OK. We're together. We'll find a new house and we'll do that together as well".

Annabeth never wondered why she married Percy. But there were times she wondered how she ever lived without him. This was one of those times. She turned her back on the burning wreckage and fled the scene. It wasn't even lunch time.

She made it back to the hideout with no problem and found her husband waiting for her on their bikes, everything packed away quite nicely. Annabeth walked over and held him. Not tight, but close. They stayed like that, wrapped around each other, for several minutes; neither was in a rush to move.  
"Thank you" she whispered. Percy didn't say anything back. He didn't have to.

Eventually they parted ways and got back on their bikes, flying out of their hideout and then making their way out of DC. They picked up right where they left off and aimed for Long Island. The ghost of their house had been vanquished, brought down by C4 supplemented with a few grenades. A fitting exorcism if Annabeth did say so herself.  
"Where do you want to live next?"  
"Are we talking anywhere in the world or just America?"  
"Anywhere at all. Where do you want to wake up?"

She thought about it. Really thought about it. Annabeth had a love of culture and history that was very rarely satisfied. She had studied architecture with a passion before enlisting and had never lost her love for ancient buildings. There were many places she wanted to visit: Rome, Venice, Damascus, Athens. But she didn't want to live there. Annabeth had moved around so much as a soldier and then again as a Watcher, that the idea of living in several places didn't appeal to her. Brownstone Hill may have been a quiet and boring place in the middle of the suburbs, but it had stayed the same. Once they had it how they wanted, it never changed. It was reliable.  
"Next to you" Annabeth finally answered. "I don't care where we live so long as everyday, I wake up next to you".  
"How very unhelpful" Percy drawled. Annabeth could her the smile in his voice.  
"Well what about you? Where do you want to walk up?" She knew he was thinking hard and waited, eager to hear.  
"I've always had this little dream/fantasy kind of thing. Just you and me on an island somewhere. A simple hut. No phones or anything like that. Completely cut off from the world. Just you and me. We'd spend our days sleeping, making love and relaxing". Annabeth let herself drift away to this fantasy island and found it was wonderfully pleasant.

The smell of the ocean. Being woken up by the breeze. Spending hours entwined with her husband. She sighed.  
"Nice right?"  
"Very nice. I mean we'd need to spar as well otherwise we'd just go completely insane but still. It's a nice thought". After being with him for so long, Annabeth knew when there was more to a silence than just the absence of noise. "Spill it Percy".

"Weeeellllll" he drawled, "it's more than just a thought".  
"What do you mean?"  
"I mean that every time I've gone on a solo mission over the last five years, I've spent a few days on an unknown island I found. I've built a hut and food store, stocked emergency rations, weapons and ammo even cultivated some vegetables. All in all I think I did a pretty good job".

Annabeth was amazed and shocked.  
"When were you planning on telling me about it?"  
"It was actually supposed to be a surprise for our anniversary. I had this whole thing planned out. But then our house was invaded".  
"So for _our_ anniversary, we were going to live out _your_ fantasy?" Teasing her husband was her favourite pasttime.  
"Yeah how terrible of me. Taking my wife on a secluded trip to an idyllic beach with a resort that was built by my own two hands. The nerve of me". Annabeth giggled, feeling happier than she'd had since the attack. The world was always less frightening when there was something to look forward to.  
"I guess we can always honeymoon there".  
"I guess we can".

The rest of the drive was almost perfectly smooth. There were no accidents or roadworks of any kind. Nothing to stop or slow them down. They still had to ride a lot slower than normal, and take a few rest breaks, but just as the sun was setting, they made it back to base. The garage was much fuller than it had been when they'd left. There was a car that had been through a warzone and another that looked like the most nondescript car on the planet.

They both parked up, dismounted and headed for the operations room. Percy was still wincing with every other step and Annabeth was keeping pace. The elevator dinged and as always, Annabeth called out their identities and everyone else put away their guns. When the doors opened fully, she couldn't help but gasp. The only new faces were Piper and Reyna but seeing the place so full and active, brought back amazing memories.  
"Annabeth! Percy!" The happiness in Piper's voice made her tear up and she strode forwards and wrapped her arms around the spy. They held onto each other tightly and only parted when she heard Leo swear.  
"Goddamn it Jackson! Why would you hug Reyna with broken ribs?"

Annabeth pulled back in concern and saw her husband cradling his ribs.  
"It's fine. They've taken a beating the last few days but it's fine".  
"No it's not" Annabeth said, calling bullshit on Percy's words.  
"I've got something that will help. Save your hello's for later". Leo hustled Percy out of the room and Annabeth turned and greeted Reyna.

She had always had an odd relationship with the Reaper. They were both very similar. Strong, martial women who were used to taking charge. As much as she loved Piper and Hazel, they weren't her equals. Reyna was her equal in a way that even Percy couldn't be. There was also the undercurrent of who could win in a fight. It was a sign of their mutual respect than neither was sure of the answer.

"Hey Reyna" she said, hugging her gently.  
"Hey Annabeth", the Reaper replied. They stepped away from each other after a second and everyone had gathered around the same spot. "Any trouble getting here?"  
"Some. Nothing we couldn't handle though".  
"Is there anything that doesn't fit that description?"  
"I guess we'll find out soon enough". Annabeth's words brought a lull over the group. "Any word from Hazel? Nico?"  
"Hazel is in France and she's as safe as any of us I guess". Frank looked tense and she knew he must be physically restraining himself to stop from jumping on the first plane. He looked at her and smiled. "I almost did fly there but Valdez talked me out of it".

The fact that Leo Valdez had talked Frank Zhang out of doing anything was a phenomenal achievement in and of itself. And by looking around the room, she could tell that she wasn't the only one who thought so. Literally everyone else in the room was shocked to one degree or another. Frank rolled his eyes at the silent surprise.

"Nico is on his way back here" said Chiron, "and when he returns we do a full debrief. We'll figure out where we stand, what needs to be done and how we do it". He turned and faced Annabeth directly. "Right now we're opening the old channels. The UN has basically told us we're on our own so anyone you can think of will be useful". She nodded.  
"Understood. I'll check in on Percy and then we'll get to work".  
"Feel free to take a shower first" Piper added as she left to find her husband.

Piper's words caused her to divert away from the infirmary and to her room. Everything was how she had left it and she gratefully grabbed a change of clothes and took a long, hot shower. By the time she stepped out, Annabeth felt renewed.

Her skin was soft and her hair was clean and the heat had made it easier to breathe. Annabeth stood there, in the middle of a simple, white bathroom, breathing in and out as if meditating. Eventually she donned a fresh outfit and left, towelling her hair while she strode to find her husband.

Thankfully he was lying down in a bed, Leo at his side talking softly. Annabeth immediately noticed the contraption around his chest.  
"What's with the transformer?" She asked, kissing Percy's forehead and sitting on the edge of his bed. His arm immediately came up to wrap around her waist.  
"It's my Cradle of Life" Leo explained. "I designed it to speed up the recovery process by a factor of...well it varies from person to person but it's a lot".  
"It's weird" Percy said. "I can literally feel myself healing". Annabeth eyed the device with increased curiosity and caught Leo's grin out of the corner of her eye. He appreciated his genius being appreciated.  
"How long till he's back to work?" she asked.  
"A couple hours. Maybe less". Leo stood up and headed for the exit. "Glad you guys made it in one piece".  
"You too". Leo nodded at them both and left, shutting the door behind him.

Annabeth looked down at her husband who looked back up at her. He slowly shuffled to one side and when she could, Annabeth lay down beside him.  
"I can't believe you showered without me" he whispered. She grinned and pushed her leg against his own.  
"I'll make it up to you later". Her eyes began to drift closed and she let them. They were both safe and Annabeth used the opportunity to get some sleep.

***

Percy felt her drift off, felt her breathing slow and her body relax. He stayed awake, not thinking but simply relishing in the feeling of his body knitting itself back together. He didn't understand how it worked and he didn't need to. It worked and that was the main thing. As he lay there, unconsciously stroking his arm up and down Annabeth's back, Percy began to wonder what was going to happen.

Ever since they had broken into his now destroyed home, Percy had been solely concerned with the next step. Make it to Chiron, find out what was happening, find Leo, get back to base. But right now there was no next step. Right now they needed to plan and that meant thinking long term. Thinking strategy. Thinking acceptable losses.

It was a miracle that none of his friends had died yet but that wouldn't last much longer. Skill would eventually not be enough and there was only so much luck in the world. Percy would happily give his life to keep his family safe, and he knew they all felt the same way. But the idea of losing any one of them made him...

He breathed out and relaxed, opening his hand from the fist it had become.

Percy knew that going into a fight expecting to lose was the easiest way to die. But against this kind of enemy, he didn't see how they could win.  
"We win because we want it more". Percy turned and faced Annabeth who had woken up at some point. Staring into her grey eyes that had literally become his anchor to life she said, "we're Overwatch. We always want it more".

The Cradle beeped as it finished its job and Annabeth disengaged it before putting it back on a shelf. Percy stood up and wrapped his arms around his wife. And for the first time in what felt like forever, she squeezed his body as hard as she could.  
"How did you know what I was thinking?" He heard her snort.  
"I learned a long time ago that if I wanted to know what you're really thinking, I have to look at you when you think no one is. Otherwise you put on a brave face for me".  
"I don't hide things from you. You hit me when I do". Annabeth laughed.  
"No" she agreed, "you don't hide things from me. But sometimes you don't share things that really get to you until you've got a handle on them"  
"I don't like it when you worry about me".  
"I will always worry about you".  
"Then why would I add to that?"

Annabeth pulled away but instead of looking angry or upset, she was grinning.  
"Because we're stronger together. We always have been. Have your forgotten that? Little thing or big thing, we share the weight and lift it together. Don't change the rules now". Percy was blown away by the woman he was lucky enough to call his own. "Come on. Let's join the rest". Arm in arm they walked out of the infirmary and towards the ops centre.

Despite the time it was a hive of activity. If that hive only contained six bees that were flying in the same spot. Everyone was sitting at a computer, their fingers flying over the keys. Percy walked straight over to Piper and hugged her from behind.  
"It's good to see you McLean" he said, smushing his face against hers. She laughed and returned the gesture. He then went to greet the Reaper. Unlike Piper, he knew she wouldn't appreciate a smushing so he left it at a simple hand on her shoulder.  
"Reyna".  
"Percy".

Much like his wife, Percy longed to go one on one with a Reaper. But that was because they were the only ones who showed the same appreciation for hand to hand combat as he did. Sitting down at a spare desktop, Percy logged in using credentials he hadn't entered in five years; he didn't even have to try to remember them.  
"What are we doing?" he asked the room at large.  
"Tapping old contacts, all over the globe" Frank called out.  
"Opening supply lines" Reyna added.  
"Searching for any intel that might be an lead" said Piper.  
"Looking for any unusual activity in the international theatre" Annabeth provided.  
"Checking my email" drawled Leo who was sat next to him.

A chorus of insults punctuated by snorts of laughter filled the room, cutting the tension away.  
"There is only so long I can work for without a break" Leo argued with a grin. "We've been doing this for days. At this point it's a little pointless".  
"How so" Chiron asked. The mechanic swung around in his chair to face the soldier. They were all soldiers in one way or the other, Percy thought as he fired off messages to his old contacts, but Chiron was the soldier.  
"It's safe to assume that the plan we're trying to learn about has been in place for a while. You can't organise something this big in an afternoon".  
"Agreed".  
"Therefore, the only wrinkle in the plan as far as we know, is our survival. Given that we're still a group with no official funding or supply, I'm guessing that they're just going to accelerate timelines".  
"Which would cause activity we can track".  
"Agreed. But the majority of that activity would happen in the day after we all survived. It's been almost a week since the recall. Anything we were going to catch has already happened". Chiron was deep in thought, thinking about Leo's words.  
"I forgot how well you could bullshit when you didn't want to work".

Everyone laughed at the truth in the statement, Leo the hardest. He swung back around and resumed his work.  
"He's got a point though" said Reyna a few minutes later.  
"I know. That's what makes his bullshit so effective". Chiron brought up a global map which had dots of various colours scattered all over it. He added a yellow dot in Nairobi to signify a confirmed source of medical attention. It joined the red for weapons dump, the green for resource point and black for safe shelter.

"Anyone else got anything for the map?" he asked his team. The negative responses were disheartening but also expected. Apart from Percy and Annabeth, they had all been talking to people for days. Any good news they were going to get now would be from those two and Hazel and Nico when they turned up.

"We've got a few people we can turn to" Annabeth said while Percy nodded.  
"We'll make sure they're still alive and add them on" he said. Despite the truth of Leo's words, everyone kept working. Hoping to find something or do something that would make what was going to come next, much easier. But even they needed to rest at some point.

But no one wanted to be the first to quit. Percy scanned the room out of his periphery. Everyone here had travelled extensively the last few days so they would all feel a bit fatigued. Except for Chiron who just kept on going and Reyna who was beyond mortal comprehension. He could see them blinking a little slower and hear pauses between their typing. Just like himself. But they refused to give in.

Annabeth sent him an IM on their intranet chat service. They couldn't use Skype because of security reasons so Hazel had made them one called Seape.  
_I can see your head drooping_  
**Because I'm tired. Unlike you, I didn't get a nap**  
_Well that's your fault_  
**I don't see how. It's hard to nap with a metal beetle humping your chest**  
_ha!_

A few emails came through from his people. One said no but the others said yes so he added them and their details onto the map. He had just finished when Chiron spoke up.  
"Ok we're done for the night. Everyone turn i-" the sound of the elevator made him stop and everyone scrambled up and into position, weapons trained onto the doors.

"I don't know why we do this every time" whispered Leo as the elevator made its way down. "It's obviously Nico or Hazel. Surely we should react like this _after_ everyone is here".  
"You know what Valdez?" Piper replied, "shut up".  
"Witty".

As expected, the moment the doors opened, a voice called out for them not to shoot.  
"It's Nico!"  
"And Hazel!"  
Percy lowered his gun as Frank shot forwards across everyone's line of fire. A terrible breach of combat etiquette but he let it slide. He watched, amused, as the giant man rushed the small woman and lifted her off of her feet. Nico walked forwards towards them and Percy found himself grinning.

He greeted them all in turn with Chiron, Reyna and Jason receiving the warmest welcome.  
"It's good to see you Nico" Chiron said.  
"And you sir". The smile on his usually stern face was at odds with his formal words. Jason draped an arm around his shoulder and Percy was struck by deja vu. Once upon a time that was him.

Frank and Hazel eventually broke apart and rejoined the group where she was welcomed back enthusiastically but silence quickly fell. They hadn't all been together since the fall and those memories were at the forefront of everyone's mind.  
"Tomorrow". All eyes turned to Chiron. "We've all been through a lot these last few days. Get to bed now and we'll meet tomorrow. 7am". He turned and walked off and one by one, the others followed suit.

Percy and Annabeth went to their room and locked the door. There were no words or jokes. They simply climbed into bed and fell asleep.

***

Chiron sat in his quarters, trying to keep his hands from shaking. Ever since he had recalled Overwatch, he had been plagued with doubts. And now, for the first time in five years, they were all back together. Overwatch was back together and they all looked towards him to lead. The weight of the world was on his shoulders once again.

He stood and paced back and forth. He tried to control his breathing. But nothing he did stopped the shaking. Because it wasn't nerves that had his hands trembling.

It was excitement.


	11. Foundations of Ash

The UN agreed that they were failing.

It wasn't a decision that was made lightly and it was not one that was made public. But in a room at the heart of the UN building in New York, the representatives of the most influential member states accepted that when it came to the reason they had been formed, they had failed. Wars still raged. Countries invaded and annexed. Illegal occupation and settlements. Sanctions didn't do much and other punitive measures were next to useless. They had always dealt with the reality of the situation and the reality was that the planet was pushing itself closer to Armageddon.

"What if, instead of dealing with reality, we strive for the ideal?"

A concept was created. A group built around a moral ideal. To protect those who need protecting. To save those who need saving. To step in when they see something wrong and make it right.

They hated the idea. They argued that it was not realistic to do such a thing. But the idea would not die. Eventually they were swayed. Mostly because they thought it would not work, but also by the novelty of it all. When the Overwatch taskforce was announced, it was met by ridicule and mockery. The idea of a moral paramilitary organisation was labelled as oxymoronic. Nevertheless, many volunteered.

When they first saw action, they had a hundred members and were armed with whatever weapons had been donated. Guerrillas had been pillaging villages and towns across East Africa and Overwatch went in. A month later the entire area was recovering, the guerrillas had been wiped out and Overwatch came out with zero casualties.

They stopped being a joke after that. Funding came their way. New weapons, new equipment and new enemies. Their ranks swelled until they had a total of two thousand made up from almost every nation on Earth, all swearing the same oath to help those who needed it. They clashed with various governments time and again. There were setback. But slowly, the world began to get better.

Until Overwatch fell.

At first no one knew why but stories soon emerged. On a day when nearly every member was under the same roof, a rogue group infiltrated the building posing as Overwatch. Bombs were set off. The body count was terrible. Broken, the people of Overwatch scattered. The leader vanished into exile.

Political games dragged the name of Overwatch through the mud. Many distanced themselves from the fiasco and moved on. The very name of Overwatch became a cautionary tale of inevitable failure. The sun set on what could have been a golden age. Darkness descended across the world.

***

The table was full. For the first time in far too long, the table was full.

Chiron.  
Percy.  
Annabeth.  
Jason.  
Piper.  
Leo.  
Hazel.  
Frank.  
Nico.  
Reyna.

No one said a word. Not even Chiron. Every now and then someone would look to him, expecting him to speak but he didn't. Until he did.

"Thank you". Every head swivelled to face the old soldier. "None of you needed to be here. But you came anyway. For that, thank you".  
"You're wrong Chiron" Annabeth said. "We do need to be here". Heads nodded around the table and Chiron conceded.  
"Very well. But I'm grateful nonetheless. Now that we're finally all together, it's time to hear what happened to everyone. Be concise. Annabeth, Percy. You first".

They went round the table, each one of them telling their stories, including the information that they had learned during the course of the last few days, wrapping up with Hazel and Nico.  
"At which point she demanded we return here and she wouldn't say why until everyone was together" Nico finished.  
"Well Hazel, enlighten us" Leo said as all eyes turned to her.

"I found a group of people online who had gone to great trouble to stay under my radar. Then it turns out they knew all about me. So I went to France to meet up with Nico-"  
"A heads up would've been nice. Just sayin'" Frank mumbled. Hazel placed her hand on his and squeezed it lightly.  
"Between the two of us, we tracked enough of their activities that they tried to intimidate us. They turned Paris off".  
"The blackout! That was because of you?" Piper looked both worried and impressed.  
"Yeah. The recall happened after that and then we went to Germany. I did some more tracking and got a glimpse of their plan".

She waited to make sure everyone was paying attention.  
"Seven cities across the world are going to be systematically destroyed to incite violence and with the end goal of starting another world war. I'm talking complete and utter destruction. No hope of recovery".  
"Do you know whi-"  
"Paris, Beijing and Tel Aviv are three of them aren't they?" Annabeth interrupted Leo without apology. "The people I killed mentioned those three".  
"Yeah. Those three, Washington, London, Moscow and Makkah. And when the invasions and fighting begin, they have forces in every country just waiting to take control".

The scale of the operation combined with the skill and resource of those planning it, silenced the table.  
"Makkah and Tel Aviv alone would burn half of the world. Throw in the other five..." Jason ran his hands through his hair, worried. "What do we do?"  
"We stop them".  
"No shit Jackson. I meant how". Jason and Percy glared at each other across the table.

Leo noticed Annabeth resting her hand on Percy's thigh. He also noticed Piper flexing her own fingers before balling them into a fist.  
"Was there anything else you found out Hazel?" Chiron asked, ignoring them both.  
"Nothing. No time frames. No methods. No plans whatsoever".  
"We can assume they are acting soon" Piper offered. "Otherwise why take us out now?"  
"Try to take us out, you mean" Hazel said. Piper turned and offered her a sad look.  
"No. A lot of former Overwatch employees have been killed in the last few days". Several members of the table turned in shock and Piper nodded. "In the days after we were targeted, a lot of auxiliary workers were eliminated. Most escaped and have gone underground, but a lot didn't make it".

Once again there was silence as they all honoured the fallen Watchers.  
"We need to avenge them" said Annabeth.  
"We need to kill Luke as well" added Percy.  
"We NEED to stop those cities from being destroyed. Everything else is a secondary objective".

Percy bristled but didn't argue with Chiron's assertion.

"I think it's safe to assume that it's not just the simple act of destroying these cities" Chiron continued. "There will be a specific order and there will be certain groups of people taking the blame".  
"They'll take advantage of current geopolitical tensions and make sure the absolute worst possible faction takes the blame for each city" said Frank.  
"They're probably the ones who are responsible for the current tensions Frank" Piper pointed out. "Who knows how long they've been planning this for? Every incident for the last fifteen years could have been about getting to this point".

"We need to contact the respective governments. Tell them what's going on". Percy shook his head at his wife's idea.  
"We can't do that. The moment we tell anyone official that this intel comes from Overwatch, it'll be binned. They wont treat it as credible".  
"We have to tell someone! We can't just sit on it and leave the rest of the world in the dark!"  
"No. We can't. But we can't just announce it either. The backlash would make it almost impossible to do our jobs. Then what hope is there?"

Everyone else at the table sat in silence as Annabeth grew angry. This time it was Percy who reached out and gripped her hand tight. He didn't say or do anything else. Eventually she returned the pressure and turned her head back to face him.  
"I know it sucks, but right now we do not know who's on our side and who isn't". Annabeth sighed and nodded.  
"Which means we tell only those we trust. And there aren't many of those anymore".

"You two are so open and honest it sickens me". The rest of the table echoed Leo's sentiments.  
"Just because you're lonely Valdez doesn't mean you have to be bitter about it", Annabeth cracked.  
"Of course it does. Why do you think they always said together? Lonely and bitter. Like peanut butter and jelly".  
"Five years and we still can't have a meeting without hearing about how hard up Valdez is". Everyone burst out laughing at Chiron's words. "Here's the plan" he continued when everyone was listening. "We split up. We infiltrate these cities and find out what, where and when. We stop them from going up in flames".

No more instructions were needed. They never were.  
"Go. Take a break. Be back here in thirty and we can talk logistics". Everyone stood up as Chiron dismissed them and then, as one, hesitated. They had all been ready to head straight to Chiron's lounge and now they didn't know where to go.

One by one or two by two they went their own ways. And Chiron watched them walk away from the table and from each other.

***

Leo found himself in the garage, lounging on his bike. Well it wasn't his bike _personally_ , but given that he designed and built it, Leo felt it was his bike. He sat on it, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. The world was about to end and here they all were, fighting like children and avoiding each other like angsty teenagers.

"I wonder when we'll start acting like adults" he said out loud.  
"Probably not for a while" Hazel replied, walking into the concrete space to join him. Leo smiled at her. He couldn't help it; she was his friend. She moved over and stood an arms length away, grinning back. "I never got to say thank you. For helping Frank".

Leo's expression went from confused to understanding to done.  
"You don't need to thank me for that. What was I going to do? Leave him to die on my doorstep?"  
"Hopefully not. But I still wanted to say thank you. Just accept it like a normal person".  
"But I'm not normal".  
"Never have been".

They laughed as they fell back into an inside joke from when the two had dated.  
"How've you been Leo? What have you been doing these last five years?" He shrugged his slight shoulders.  
"Not much. Just a little repair shop in a little town". She frowned.  
"Why? That would have been hell for you?" Leo shrugged.  
"It wasn't so bad. The people were friendly".  
"You exiled yourself idiot". Leo didn't deny it. He had done exactly that. "Did you at least meet anyone?"  
"Of course not".  
"Have you dated anyone since we broke up?" He shook his head.  
"You were a hard act to follow".

The silence was awkward and Leo immediately regretted his words.  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I'm not pining for you or trying to get you back so don't worry. I'm just saying we had a great relationship and the idea of starting all over with someone who can't understand what we do is exhausting". The silence continued. "Is this where you tell me that our relationship was terrible and I created some sort of fantasy to feed my male ego?"

Hazle snorted.  
"No. Our relationship was good and I agree with you about that sounding exhausting. I just wish you didn't have to be alone. Do you still feel that...?"  
"That constant feeling of pain that doesn't grow or shrink but just stays there, right in the middle of my chest?"  
"Yes. That"  
"No not at all". Hazel eyed him, worry written all over her face.  
"How do you do it?" Leo got off the bike and stretched.  
"I make jokes".

***

Annabeth and Piper strolled along fields that used to surround Chirons house. Now they just flanked a pile of rubble. They walked in silence, each reminiscing about the times that they would train in the fields or play capture the flag in the forest.  
"I would have liked to have been at your wedding" Piper said, looking straight ahead.

That was all it took. A simple sentence but it reforged a friendship stronger than any they'd had been before. Annabeth side eyed Piper and grinned.  
"Why? To give the gift you didn't get me in person?" Piper cackled, even as she wove her arm through Annabeth's as they walked.  
"No. So I could convince you not to marry Percy and run away with me. We could have become a new generation of lesbian pirates". This time it was Annabeth who howled, scaring the birds from a nearby tree. They resumed walking when Annabeth had calmed down enough.  
"While lesbian pirates does sound intriguing, I've enjoyed my life these last five years. I don't think I'd trade it in".  
"I'm glad you've been happy Chase. Or is it Jackson now?" Annabeth shrugged, finding it more amusing to keep her in the dark.

"How has your own life been Piper?" There was a notable silence before she answered.  
"it's been OK". Annabeth just waited. "Except for my goddamn white whale almost swallowing me whole, it's been fine".  
"You know that's what white whales do right? The obsession almost gets you killed".  
"But I wasn't obsessed Annabeth! That's the thing! I did everything right". Piper took her arm away from Annabeth and walked backwards so she could face her friend and gesticulate wildly. "I researched the target. I had a backup plan. I had every contingency mapped out!"  
"Except the one where he knew you were coming".  
"There was no possible way he could have found out. It was a circle of one! He shouldn't have known!"  
"But he did". Piper sighed, deflating before her eyes.  
"But he did", the spy agreed.

Annabeth walked forwards and wrapped her arms around her friends small frame.  
"I missed something" Piper confessed into her shoulder. Annabeth didn't disagree because she didn't believe in lying about something important.  
"It does seem that way. That's the downside of a circle of one, Beauty Queen. The only one to blame is you". Annabeth yelped when Piper pinched her side.

They resumed their walk, once again arm in arm. A comfortable quiet enveloped the pair of them, but it was not silent. The wind blew through the grass and the leaves as they stepped into the forest, filling the air with the rustle of the natural world. Underneath the canopy of the forest Annabeth breathed deeply, simultaneously disappointed and excited. Annabeth and Piper walked over gnarled roots and around dirt mounds as they moved deeper into familiar territory.  
"That's where I body checked Leo into the river", Piper said pointing at small shelf overlooking a stream.  
"I remember that. Didn't you break his rib?"  
"It was a fracture".

Annabeth grinned and let herself vanish among the memories associated with this forest; all of them were enjoyable.  
"What made you come back?" Annabeth asked her friend.  
"You first".

Annabeth walked over and sat on a fallen tree. It had a thick trunk and long, deep roots but it hadn't made a difference. It had toppled and would now slowly die even as it fed the forest around it.  
"We came back because we had to", Annabeth finally said. She grinned as Piper rolled her eyes. "Yes Pipes, _we_. If one of us decided to come back then the other would have followed. It just so happens we were in agreement. In all honesty, we got so swept up in the attack that when we finally got around to thinking about what to do, we had already committed. But we got lucky. We both wanted to do what we were doing".

"So you're back in the life? For good?" Piper had decided to sit on the ground. It was dry enough and she leaned back against a tree that was still upright.  
"I don't know about that. We've both got things we want to do after this is over".  
"Like what?" Annabeth just grinned.  
"We loved our lives. When we weren't working a job, every day was the same. Woke up, trained, ate, relaxed. Rinse and repeat. It was perfect".  
"Sounds boring" Piper said so honestly that Annabeth laughed.  
"We were safe Piper. We knew that we'd be coming home that night. No scars, no bullet wounds. We picked a nice boring town and lived in the freaking suburbs of that boring town. I had Percy and he had me. We were never stressed or scared. Can you not see the appeal?"  
"I really can't. I chose work over the guy. You didn't".  
"I wasn't forced to choose".

Annabeth had been a little hurt by Pipers comment but immediately regretted her own retort.  
"Fuck Piper I'm sorry. I didn't mean that", but she waved away the apology.  
"Don't be. You're right". Annabeth sighed deeply and slid to the ground so she was level with Piper. "I chose work because I believed in what I did. I believed I made the world a safer place".

"With everything that's been happening" Piper said staring at nothing, "I keep thinking about how we were before. Overwatch. This beacon of hope. Designed to strive for an ideal. To be good. And when Jason told me that Luke had brought us down from the inside, I was devastated".  
"Me too" Annabeth whispered.

"I kept thinking to myself 'what's the point? The same thing will just happen again'. They broke Luke. Next it'll be you or me or Percy or Leo or anyone. Why are we even here when it'll be the same and we'll fall over and over and over again?" Annabeth said nothing. She just moved and sat next to her friend, an armed around her shoulder as she silently cried.

Annabeth couldn't think of anything to say because the same thoughts had been present in the back of her own mind as well. She didn't know why Luke did what he did. Why he betrayed them all. It was easy to say that she'd never do the same thing but without knowing what pushed Luke to do it, she couldn't say for certain. If she lost Percy, if Overwatch burned him or betrayed him in any way...

It wasn't something she enjoyed thinking about.

"Hey. We can't really know what other people will do. But our team has always been solid. We just have to rely on it being that way again". Piper wiped her eyes.  
"Yeah because we're all so open to being friends again".  
"We just have to give them no choice on the matter". Annabeth stood up and pulled Piper to her feet as well.  
"Where are we going?" Piper asked as the taller woman pulled her through the trees.  
"To give them no choice on the matter".

***

Chiron, Nico and Reyna sat around a small table. The old soldier looked at his two most trusted operatives. His Reapers.  
"How fucked are we?" Nico asked.  
"Pretty fucked" Reyna replied. "Seven cities ready to blow and we can't save them all".  
"Tel Aviv and Makkah are paired. We need to save at least one" Nico triaged. "Washington, Moscow and Beijing is just a clusterfuck. We have to save at least two because if we don't then they'll declare war on the third. London and Paris are tensioners; acceptable losses".

No one was horrified at the idea of labelling eleven million people as acceptable losses. Or to be more accurate, no one objected to the idea out loud.

"Worst case scenario" said Chiron.  
"Scenario A" Reyna began. "Tel Aviv goes first. People posing as Al Qaeda, Daesh or some other extremist group claim the attack. IDF goes full frontal; airstrikes and invasions across the Middle East. Iran mobilises and Makkah goes next. No one claims it but everyone will assume it was Mossad. War breaks out across the Eastern hemisphere as well as every Muslim and Jewish community anywhere in the world. US gets drawn in backing Israel and Russia decided to provide support for its allies as well. Moscow goes third and blames the US".

"At this point ground forces in every country begin mobilising at their borders. Middle East OPEC stop exporting and US forces start using India as a staging ground. Russia leans on Pakistan and China weighs in. Beijing and Washington blow, one after the other. All three declare war on each as well as India and Pakistan. US diverts attention between homeland defence, Israel, Russia and China. UN forces diplomacy before London and Paris go. No one claims these ones but the rising nationalism in these countries take over and civil war rages across Europe. The right wing comes out on top and World War Three is officially underway".

"Scenario B" said Nico. "Washington goes first and it's claimed by fake Russian forces. America goes DEFCON 1 and Russia reciprocates. UN tries to play mediator resulting in London and/or Paris going. America increases manpower and resource in its Eastern bases as well as increased western military presence. Makkah then goes, uniting the Islamic nations resulting in open war in the East and guerilla warfare in the West".

"Israel stays out until Tel Aviv at which point it attacks everyone. Moscow would go the same time ratcheting up the US-Russia conflict at the same time as the Israel-Middle East one. Beijing is the cherry on top and China launches a full scale invasion and occupation of all surrounding territories".

Chiron looked from one Reaper to the other and they looked right back at him. He sighed dejectedly and sat back in his chair.  
"We don't have enough people to handle every city properly. There are a handful of outside operatives I can call but not many. Maybe enough to secure one city. but the rest will be on us".  
"How many auxiliary agents survived the culling?" Nico asked.  
"Not as many as I would have liked. Haven't heard from all of them but a few have touched base. Clarisse, the Stolls, Will and a few others. Silena is confirmed as down".

Nico hadn't known her well and Reyna not at all, but the death of a Watcher was not something to be shrugged off.  
"Clarisse saw it happen".  
"How many did she kill?"  
"All of them".

Nico and Reyna nodded; Clarisse la Rue was well known to everyone.

"We need to bring everyone back to the table" Chiron said. "We need to plan everything out. This is a mission just like every other mission we did".  
"Gross oversimplification" Reyna chimed in.  
"Wildly inaccurate" added Nico, "but please continue". A single bark of laughter escaped the old soldier and he felt better for it.

"I remember when I met you both. You couldn't have been more different to each other. One a strong, determined young woman and the other a scarred and frightened little boy. And look at you now. The most capable people on this planet". He looked from one to the other, his heart swelling from the love and loyalty they gave him. "I'm proud of you both".

There was more he thought of saying but they already knew. The three of them sat their in familial silence, together for what they all knew may be the last time.

***

Percy stood there, completely tense, as Jason appeared in front of him.

All he had wanted to do was spend some time alone. Well he had wanted to talk to Leo but had spied him and Hazel chatting and didn't want to interrupt. Then he tried to find Frank but saw him napping in his quarters. So the next best option, while his wife and Piper were off, was to be by himself. Make sure he was doing well and doing so surrounded by the above ground wreckage just made sense.

After everything that he had been through in the last week, Percy figured he should process things. Understand how he was feeling.

But when Jason stepped into his line of sight, all he felt was anger. Anger and pain.

Jason had once been his brother. His best friend. Closer than blood. And now-

"I've been looking for you Jackson", Jason snarled as he walked past the rubble of Chiron's house.  
"I knew you were stupid but I guess even I underestimated how much". Percy saw his left eye twitch and knew he was angry. Even after five years he still telegraphed his every emotion.  
"You're going to apologise right now".  
"I'm not going to apologise for stating simple facts. I genuinely didn't realise you were as stupid as you are".

Jason balled his fists but kept going.

"You ruined my relationship with Piper. You fucked me over you bastard". Percy's jaw dropped.  
"Are you...are you serious right now? I didn't do anything. You fucked yourself over!"

Jason lashed out with a blow to Percy's head. The sniper was as fast as he'd ever been. The fist caught the edge of his jaw as Percy tried to evade the strike even as he snapped a boot out into Jason's chest. They both flew apart from each other.  
"You're the one who torched your relationship not me!"  
"I came to you for help! You betrayed me!"

Jason once again attacked Percy, a flurry of punches that forced Percy to dodge and weave around his arms. Once again Percy increased the distance between the two, grabbing his last attack and spinning Jason away.

They stood staring at each other, panting slightly but otherwise in perfect shape. They were both used to much longer fights than this; they were just getting warmed up.

"I did nothing to you" Percy spat. "I told you to talk to Piper. About what you both wanted. I never said give her a fucking ultimatum!"

He charged and Percy stood his ground. Jason was a good combat technician, but Percy was better. He planted his feet as the sniper approached, emptying his mind and just letting his body react. Every jab was diverted and every cross misdirected. Percy nudged Jason's strikes wider and wider until just the right moment when he lunged forwards and smashed two fists into his sternum.

The blond soldier went hurtling backwards and barely managed to stay upright. A hand instinctively reach up and rubbed the area, trying and failing to massage away the sting.  
"You did this to me" Jason spat, almost desperately.  
"The fractured ribs? Yes. The failed relationship? No".

With a roar, Jason tackled Percy to the ground and began raining blows down on him. Percy hunched up, blocking what he could and taking what he couldn't while Jason beat him like a drum. Percy knew better than to try and outlast him; he'd be broken before Jason Grace tired. So Percy took the first chance he got and pushed Jason off balance before pulling him down with him. Jason's back was to his chest as they wrestled for a few seconds until Percy had him pinned. One arm wrapped around his neck while the other held an arm down. The other was restrained by Percy's legs as they gripped his torso tight.

"I am not responsible for your problems" Percy whispered into his ear. "I did not ruin your relationship. You're the one who accused Piper of valuing her job more than you. You're the one who demanded she choose between the two. You fucked up your own life. Not me!"

The sniper struggled with every ounce of strength in his body but it was useless and eventually, he collapsed backwards against Percy.  
"I know" he said. Percy looked at him, surprised, and saw a single tear drip from his eye.

_Well that was unexpected progress_

Percy relaxed his grip a little but didn't let go, just in case it was a ruse.  
"You know what?" Percy asked, both to get him to say it out loud and to distract him from thoughts of further violence.  
"I know that it was my fault". Jason still spoke in the same quiet voice. Not a whisper but more as if he simply didn't have the energy to talk louder. "I forced Piper into an awful situation because I was scared. She left me and was right to do so. I went looking for her but I found you. I blamed you. I attacked you. Then the alarms starting screaming and we were under attack. We were all scattered and then we got the disband notice. You were gone with Annabeth and everyone else had fled and I was alone. I needed you Percy and you weren't there".

Slowly, Percy let go of Jason completely. Moving the arm from around his neck and the legs around his torso. Jason seemed not to realise until he shifted into a sitting position allowing Percy to settle at his side.  
"It was the worst day of my life" he said, staring at the ground. "Me and Piper were just talking about the future and she started going on and on about intel she wanted to gather and missions she wanted to complete. And she looked so happy! So excited about this future in intelligence work. but the only thing that I could think of was that she didn't once mention me. How fucking selfish is that?" Percy didn't respond, he wasn't supposed to. Jason already knew the answer.

"Maybe in her mind she didn't need to mention me because obviously I was there. But all I could hear was that she didn't have a place for me in her life. I just started accusing her and blaming her. The look on her face..." he ran his hands through his hair, his expression showing almost physical pain. "I savaged her. Every shitty thought that ever crossed my stupid mind came rushing out. And I forced her to choose between her career or me. Thank God she left me".

Despite the fact that he had thought the same thing over the last few years, hearing those words come from Jason's mouth surprised him. Jason noticed.  
"What? Did you think I was that far gone?"  
"Honestly? Yes". Both men smirked at each other; a shadow of a broken friendship.  
"I don't blame you. At least not anymore. The fact that Piper left me is the only thing I've been grateful about these last five years. I spent all that time hating you because I wasn't strong enough to accept that it was my fault. Out loud anyway. Subconsciously I always knew it was my fault. It's probably why I let Piper beat me down".  
"Wait what? When was this?"  
"In Russia, just before Reyna got to us. We were talking and then she destroyed me. I don't think I've ever taken a beating like that in my life, and I just stood there. Because I deserved it".  
"Yeah. You did"

Jason allowed himself a short, sad laugh but Percy didn't join in. There wasn't much funny about the current situation.  
"You need to talk to her" Percy said after a while. "If only to apologise".  
"I know I do. But I just...I can't bring myself to talk to her anymore. After Reyna showed up, I don't think I've spoken more than twenty words to Piper directly".  
"Do you want her back?"

Jason opened his mouth but nothing came out. He imitated a drowning fish for a few seconds before trying again.  
"Of course I want her back Percy, but more than that I want her to be happy again. I took her happiness from her. And I'm sure the collapse of Overwatch didn't help. When I saw her, for the first time in so long, my first thought wasn't about how beautiful she was or how sexy she was. My first thought was that she looked so sad. And that I had done that to her".

They sat there in silence, Jason staring at the sky and Percy watching Jason. Once upon a time in a golden age of Overwatch the two of them had been best friends. Then Jason had come round a corner and it all came crashing down.

Percy was torn.

He had spent five years being angry at Jason. Forcing himself not to think about him even as he remembered everyone else with fondness. Pushing his once best friend out of his mind; hurting only himself. He was tired. Tired of the energy it took just to hate this lonely guy. He took a deep breath and let it out, forcing out all the pain Jason had caused since he first blamed Percy for sabotaging his relationship.

Percy wasn't torn anymore.

He reached out and dropped a comforting hand on Jason's shoulder. He flinched, expecting an attack but all he got was a wry grin.  
"You fucked up man" Percy said softly. "The only thing you can do is own up to it. You have to make it right. Not for a chance of getting back together but simply because it's the right thing to do". Jason nodded, still looking back at Percy.  
"I missed you brother" Jason finally managed to talk past the lump in his throat.  
"I missed you too man".

They sat with each other, trying to get past five years of negative emotion. It wasn't going to be easy Percy thought. But neither of them made a habit out of giving up.  
"What if she hates me? Truly hates me?" Jason had spoken so quietly that it took Percy a few seconds for the words to register in his mind.  
"Hate and love are two sides of the same coin".  
"That sounds like some bullshit Leo would pull from a fortune cookie". Percy grinned.  
"I'm serious. You should be worried about her feeling nothing for you. Not even hatred. Because that would mean she doesn't care about you at all". Another period of silence.  
"But what do I say? What can I say after everything I've done?"  
"Start with 'I'm sorry' and go from there".

Jason nodded and got to his feet before offering Percy his hand. He took it and found himself dragged into a hug as Jason wrapped both arms around him and held on tight. Without hesitation Percy returned the embrace, feeling a part of him relax. The world might be going to shit, but he had his friend back. And that did help a little.

***

The group that gathered around the table was vastly different than the one that had left it an hour earlier. Chiron watched with happiness as Annabeth and Piper came through the elevator arm-in-arm. Then in joy as Leo, Hazel and Frank walked in together, chatting amicably. And finally in outright shock when Percy and Jason strolled in, joking as if the last five years had never happened.

It wasn't just Chiron either. Everyone at the table stared in disbelief as they retook their seats at the table. Neither seemed to think there was anything amiss until Leo blurted out "what the fuck guys?" They broke off mid-conversation.  
"What?" Percy asked.  
"You two have hated each other for the last five years. Did you forget about that?" the mechanic enquired.  
"Water under the bridge" Jason said, waving his hands. Leo turned to Annabeth with a sombre expression.  
"Annabeth, I think your husband slept with Jason". She tried and failed to suppress a grin as she turned to Percy.  
"Is this true Percy? Were you top or bottom?".  
"We didn't sleep together Annabeth" Jason chimed in. "I'd never ruin him for you like that. Nico on the other hand..."  
"Nah I don't think I'm his type" Percy commented.  
"He's not" Nico said.  
"See?"  
"Why does no one want to sleep with me?" Leo demanded with faux anger.  
"I'll sleep with you man" Jason volunteered.  
"Fuck you Grace. I don't need your pity".  
"Are you sure? You don't exactly have many other options".  
"Where was the need for such savagery?"

The women at the table stared, amused and confused at what was happening. Jason and Percy had clearly began to fix whatever was broken between them and it was almost like old times. But everyone else watched Piper closely. In the field she was a blank canvas showing only what she wanted you to see, but around family she had many tells. Her lips would purse when trying to hold back a smile and her fists would clench if she wanted to hit someone.

Right now, both were happening.

"Enough". The single word from Chiron was enough to silence all chatter at the table. He looked at all of his children with fond exasperation. "I'm truly glad you're starting to move past the hurts of five years ago, but we are here to do a job. Understand?" They all nodded. They knew it wasn't a rebuke or an insult. Just a reminder. "Let's get to work".

They began talking, setting out the problem, listing the goals and objectives, framing the mission in a way that made it easier to break it down. Teams were set and assigned different locations. Contacts were exchanged and plans drawn up. Mostly they worked as a group but every now and then Nico and Reyna would break off and discuss Reaper business. No one paid them any mind.

Once the initial high-level orders were given, Chiron focused on his own priorities and tried to resume diplomacy. He spoke to heads of state and directors of intelligence from all over the world. Everyone was eager to take a call from him but no one listened to what he had to say. With every failed call he would get more and more irate before eventually he throw the phone across the room. Piper who had been returning from the kitchen snatched it out of the air before it broke her nose.  
"I take it you're not having much luck?" she asked, tossing the smartphone back to him.  
"Sorry Piper. No I'm not. Everyone is terrified of the implications so they're burying their heads in the sand".  
"Did they learn nothing from Harry Potter?" asked Hazel. "That's exactly where Fudge went wrong".  
"Perhaps" agreed Chiron, "but where Cornelius Fudge risked the worlds ruin, we will save it. Like the Order of the Phoenix".

Everyone in the room looked at Chiron for an explanation. He just shrugged.  
"I did a lot of reading in five years. Just don't expect any official help". The looks sent his way made the message perfectly clear. They never expected any. "Yeah well it had to be said. Everyone know the plan? Good. Take it easy for the rest of the day because tom-".  
"Chiron!"

Reyna's shout drew all attention to her then to the TV she was looking at. Everyone turned to look at the screens which were showing the same event from different angles. The room was suddenly filled with the sounds of screams as the volume came on and the same banner cycled across the bottom.

WASHINGTON DC BOMBED SEVERAL EXPLOSIONS AROUND CITY CHAOS IN THE STREETS

They all watched as the events played out on the TV. The news cycled between the various explosion sites, all of which still smoked. Spectators watched, numbed by shock even as tears ran down their cheeks. Others ran away, dragging family behind them obviously fearing another bomb. The camera panned across people with blood streaming down their faces, arms or legs hanging as if broken or just laying motionless on the ground. There was no gradient to the footage; it was all horrific.  
"What you're seeing here is the immediate aftermath of the awful attack on Washington D.C. The first reports came in from Twitter and Snapchat of several bombs all over the city going off almost at the same time. People are saying they heard reports of Islamic chanting prior to the explosions an-".  
"Something other than Fox news please" Leo said quietly. Reyna immediately muted Fox and turned up CNN.

"Social media was flooded with reports almost immediately and as you can see from the CNN chopper, there have been explosions all over the city. You can see the smoke rise from several areas such as the Washington and Lincoln memorials and several others. Emergency services are in a panic with reports of looting coming over the airwaves. The Mayor has yet to make a public announcement; we don't even know if she's alive but the military has appeared on the streets. From all of us at CNN please stay home and stay tuned. Stay off the roads and let the emergency services do their jobs. We will keep you updated as soon as we can".

Every other news channel was repeating variations of the same speech except Fox which littered it's segment with unfounded claims of Islamist terrorism, outburts about a wall and blaming the Democrats. Eventually they just turned that particular TV off.  
"Everyone forget what we decided" Chiron said into the silence. "Plan's changed".

They all waited silently, watching the story unfold on the multiple TV's arrayed on the wall. Leo had appropriated the Fox TV for Twitter; more tweets were posted than they could read. But they got the jist of them. Washington was terrified.

"Six cities. Annabeth, Percy, I want you two in London. Jason and Piper have Moscow. Frank and Leo will take Beijing. Leave Paris to me. Hazel and Nico will take Makkah". Chiron rattled off the orders and waited for the questions but surprisingly there was only one.  
"Sure we should take Tel Aviv instead?" Hazel queried. "I mean we're not exactly going to blend in there are we?"  
"You'll figure it out. Most scenarios point to Makkah going before Tel Aviv. We need to play the numbers. No one goes anywhere without backup".

They began redoing their plans. The enemy had struck first and they had to take it into account. Percy and Annabeth were originally slated to stay in DC but that was no longer a priority. Evac and cleanup could be done by anyone, Overwatch was needed elsewhere.

The husband and wife put their heads together and began the process of finding safe houses and supply lines as well as transportation to the city. One way. Worrying about the return journey was pointless.  
"They've just grounded all flights on the Eastern Seaboard" Reyna called out. "Find alternative pilots".

That wasn't as much of an imposition as they all knew at least one pilot who was good for a flight that stayed under the radar. Jason and Piper worked in tandem but with almost zero communication. They would IM links to each other to confirm but rarely was there anything that either disagreed with. Piper was part relieved part angry. Relieved she didn't have to risk snapping at him in front of everyone but angry that he was running the mission exactly like she would.

Hazel and Nico chatted openly about every aspect of their job and exactly how to go about it whereas Frank and Leo would work mostly in silence. Talking only when necessary to agree on one detail or another. Reyna worked by herself and in complete silence.

It took another few hours before the new arrangements had been made and by then, everyone was mentally exhausted. They sat around the table, leaning against each other as much for the support as for the physical contact. Even Chiron looked fatigued.

Despite the need to rest, no one moved from the table. They had only just started being friends again and now they were called upon to save the world. Too many Watchers had already died, one of them would probably be next. Eyes darted around the table, trying to memorise features long since committed to memory.  
"I remember when they first approached me about forming this organisation". Chiron seemed to be speaking to himself more than anyone else. "I thought it was a stupid idea. The concept was brilliant but the idea was idiotic. No country wants to contend with an army with a moral code".

"I refused but they forced the job on me while setting me up to fail. I hated them for it. They chose me because they knew I would love something like that. They took my dream and set it on fire before handing it to me. Luke was the second person to join Overwatch. I had known him and I didn't even need to ask him. The moment he heard I was heading it, he volunteered. And he was brilliant".

Percy felt Annabeth tense up and gripped her fingers with his and let her squeeze.

"Ninety eight other people signed up and we had a single company. Armed with basic weapons and out-of-date equipment, we were the sorriest bunch of do-gooders you had ever seen. But my God they were so happy. All of them had been sickened by what they had done on their tours. And they saw Overwatch as an opportunity to try and offset the evils they had performed. When I decided to head into East Africa, not one person hesitated. Not one person backed down. I knew then we would do great things".

Chiron finally looked up from his lap and everyone was silently astonished to see tears in his eyes. They had all seen him laugh and mourn and rage and despair. But none of them had ever seen him cry. It hit everyone hard but in different ways.

"We slept on boulders, burned dung for heat and ate roots and berries. It was terrible, even for soldiers. But when we liberated that first village, I can't even describe the feeling. They were wary of us at first. Probably thought we were another occupier. But we cleared the bodies away and started rebuilding some of the buildings and slowly they realised we weren't going to hurt them. They started hugging us and crying and we started crying because we'd finally done something good. Overwatch had succeeded".

"There was never a question of stopping. It was like a drug, we kept on going. We knew the entire region was rife with guerrilla activity. We resupplied from the corpses and moved on. The next two villages were the same but the fourth was different. The moment we appeared they began cheering, which was odd considering there was a firefight going on. They called us "walezi". Guardians. Turns out word had been spreading about the outsiders who were killing the soldiers. We wiped them all out. These groups that raped women and stole children. I've never slept better than on those rocks".

Chiron relaxed back in his chair, lost in another time. His eyes were focused just not on the people before him.  
"We extracted after a month and the entire area was different. The guerrillas were dead and their hideouts destroyed. We also found evidence that the guerrillas were backed by foreign governments and when we got out we released it across every channel. A lot of people didn't like that but we didn't care. Overwatch did what was right".

He then focused on each of them individually with such force that any doubt as to his readiness was immediately washed away. This was Chiron. He was enough.  
"That is what we are aiming for. We are not going to be who we were before we fell. We all remember those times with fondness but we compromised and we fought within the organisation and we abandoned our ethos. The seeds that brought about our demise were planted the second we forgot what Overwatch was meant to be. We will not make that mistake again. We will be who we were at the beginning. The guardians".

Everyone was sitting straighter, hearts full of hope. The world was dark right now but they would make it better. They were Overwatch. That is what they did. And every one of them believed it. At the deepest level of their being they believed it.

***

It was the middle of the night and with everything that was going to happen in the next few weeks, the smart thing to do was sleep. Which was why Leo was sitting in the Ops room, reclining in a chair with his feet up on the table.  
"Don't let Chiron see you doing that" Jason said as he walked in and sat down opposite him.  
"Can I not get a single minute to myself?" he asked looking upwards.  
"Do you really want a minute alone?" Leo said nothing because the answer was yes. And no. "It's been five years dude. I figured we were long overdue for a conversation".  
"That tends to happen when one person goes completely radio silent and the other finds the smallest city to vanish into".

Jason looked at Leo for a few moments before shrugging.  
"We were all dealing with something. It was a terrible time. No one handled it well".  
"Percy and Annabeth handled it well". Jason waved the argument away.  
"They don't count. They always have their shit together".

The night was warm and quiet, but not silent. The insects droned and the wind blew but down inside the bunker it was completely different while also being exactly the same. Air blew through the ventilation system and the computer fans whirred while servers flashed and hummed. And in the middle of it all, two men sat at a table watching each other.  
"I'm sorry I never reached out to you" Jason said.  
"You were dealing with something".  
"Nah" Jason said, shaking his head. "I was pitying myself".  
"Seems like you're doing better all of a sudden". Leo watched as Jason turned his gaze inwards. The sniper had been one of the most introspective people he had ever met. So much so that when Leo had heard what he'd done to his relationship he just couldn't believe it.  
"Not better so much as accepting that I fucked up. I spent a lot of time blaming other people for my own mistakes. Running away from any and all responsibility I had to make things right. Percy beat that out of me".  
"Good for him" Leo said. Jason agreed.  
"What about yourself?" He suddenly flipped the conversation and all of a sudden all eyes were on Leo. The fact that it was only the two of them didn't make a difference.

Leo was about to respond with a joke. Another automatic manoeuvre to distract and distance but...what was the point?  
"What about me? I ran. My entire life fell apart so I ran away to a nice quiet town where I couldn't do any damage".  
"None of what happened was your fault".  
"I know that. But just because it wasn't my fault, doesn't mean I won't blame myself for it".  
"How does that work?"  
"Because I'm smart. Smarter than most people. I should have seen something or noticed something. There was something I could've done had I just not been useless".  
"Is this what it's like for you?"  
"Every damn day".  
"Ah Leo". Jason stood up and moved to sit next to his old friend. He slung an arm around his shoulder and dragged him close until they were leaning against each other. Leo let himself sag a little, embarrassingly relieved over the fact that for the time being, he wasn't alone.

***

"Five years is too long to go without seeing you topless" Piper winked as she eyed Percy up and down. The man snorted and turned away from his door, walking back to his bed. He was indeed naked from the waist up but he was also wearing drawstring pants. Piper walked into the room and closed the door behind her. "And Annabeth Chase wearing short shorts and a sports bra. Christmas truly has come early".

"What's wrong Pipes?" Annabeth asked. She was laying on her bed as Percy climbed over and laid down behind her. Based on the tidy bed and the lack of smell, Piper knew they'd just been talking.  
"Wrong? With the two of you showing so much delicious skin, what can possibly be wrong?" Both of them rolled their eyes in perfect sync.  
"You always act like a super horny cougar when something is bothering you. Out with it" Percy's words coupled with the arm he snaked around Annabeth's waist snapped her out of her persona. She was intruding upon their last night of peace and that was something you just didn't do without good cause.  
"Well sorry for trying to pay you both a compliment". They both glared at her, and for a second it seemed like they were her older brother and sister and she was the little sibling who needed help. "I'm sorry" she said, this time more genuine. "I just didn't want to be alone".

The glares melted away and both of them shuffled backwards until there was enough space for a third body. At Annabeth's insistent tapping, Piper walked over and laid down in front of her. Annabeth immediately started stroking her hair and her arm and Piper sighed in contentment. She had debated the wisdom of walking to their room and knocking on the door but in that moment Piper was glad she did.

"Talk to us Piper". Percy had a soothing voice. Piper had never noticed before.  
"I'm scared and angry and lonely and I just want to spend one night with people I love before I go to fight a war with my ex-boyfriend on the other side of the world". Piper felt better just for saying it out loud. She had spent the last five years telling herself she didn't want anyone; she could tell the truth just for tonight.  
"We're here for you" Annabeth whispered to the room.

The light went out and the room was filled with the slow breathing of three people, each trying to extend the time between now and then.  
"What happened between you and Jason?" Piper asked quietly, not willing to upset the serenity of the moment by speaking loudly.  
"We talked". She waited for him to expand on the point but he didn't say anything else.  
"Is it a secret?"  
"I don't know what he wants to tell you himself".

The idea of Jason talking to her about this, or anything else, made her feel a plethora of emotions.  
"He's going to talk to me?"  
"I told him to. I think he will".  
"I don't know if I want him to or not".  
"Then tell him that when he tries to bring it up. But I think you need to hear what he has to say as much as he needs to say it". Piper didn't know what to say to that. "Or you could just beat his ass like you did before".  
"He told you that huh?"  
"Wait what? When was this?" Annabeth chimed in.  
"That's exactly what I said" Percy laughed. Based on the sounds that followed Piper assumed Annabeth elbowed him in the stomach and then Percy pinched her butt.  
"What happened" Piper began, steadfastly ignoring their cute couple nonsense, "was that the first time I saw Jason Grace after five years, he kept telling me I had to go back and I lost my temper and I attacked him. He deserved it".  
"Yeah he did" Annabeth agreed.  
"That's also what I said" Percy whispered and Piper could practically feel Annabeth's unwilling smile at her husbands antics.  
"Percy is right. You two need to talk because otherwise you'll never be able to move past it".

Piper lay there in the dark mulling over Annabeth's words. She thought that she had already moved past it but the bruises Jason still sported were proof that she clearly hadn't. She snuggled back towards Annabeth's body and felt Percy wrap his arms around both of them. This was not a bad way to spend her last night, she thought.

***

Frank and Hazel lay in bed, feeling as close to each other as they had ever been.  
"I'm just saying, next time you have to vanish for a little, wake me up first". Frank had been gently teasing Hazel since they had been reunited and she bore it with a small smile. There were a few things that she probably could've done better.  
"Or maybe a less cryptic note?" she offered. Frank smirked at her.  
"Yes. Or that". Hazel sighed, contented. She ran her hands appreciatively all over Franks body. Hazel made the right decision in going to France and she would do it again without hesitation. But she had missed Frank so much it became a physical ache. Being without him felt like she had lost her little fingers. She was completely undiminished in terms of skill and capability but she was aware of the absence every second. The fact that she was going to do it once again, made her determined to spend as much time together as they could.

He lowered his head and began trailing kisses down her neck and along her collarbone, making her head fall back as she enjoyed his lips. Frank was not as reserved in private as he was in public.  
"I forgot to mention" he said, lips still pressed to her skin causing his voice to muffle. "The Agency know how to track your hacks". Hazel let her body enjoy her lovers actions even as her mind began to work.  
"But I don't have a signature. And I know a few others who don't either". Her fingers found their way into Frank's hair and held him in one spot that felt far too good for him to abandon it.  
"I have it on good authority that they have your signature and track you with it". He bit her and she gasped.  
"I'll get right on it".

***

Nico and Reyna sat in the most miserly armoury either of them had even been in. Their personal armouries were better stocked than this one. However in all fairness, when Overwatch had gained global recognition and funding, they had moved all the weapons from this relatively little base to a much larger building. They had all been lost after the fall.

But regardless of quantity, they both felt at home when in the presence of weapons. A gun was a very simple machine and a blade even simpler. People were complicated and frustrating. Weapons were relaxing.

They had sat together since Chiron had dismissed them all from the table. They had sat together and cleaned every weapon twice. Then twice more. It was a meditative process. It helped them both find the serenity that they would both need in the near future. They didn't speak or even make eye contact with each other; they were beyond such things.

What the Reapers valued above all else, was knowing that there was someone who understood them perfectly. A person, in all the wide world, who had stood where they stood. Had done what they'd done. They may never discuss it but the knowledge was there.

They finished cleaning all of the weapons, so they began cleaning all of the weapons.

***

Chiron watched the footage from D.C. The night was lit with flashing lights all over the city as the emergency services tried to deal with the mass casualties and widespread destruction. An hour after the first set of explosions, a second round had gone off, killing and injuring hundreds of paramedics, police and firefighters who were dealing with finding the initial survivors. The city was in a bad way and tensions were already skyrocketing. Racial violence was up all over the country, calls were going out for ethnicities to be rounded up and the voices trying to call for calm were being drowned out by those baying for blood.

He left his room and went up to the surface. As he walked through his base, Chiron knew roughly who was where and what they were doing and no one was sleeping. Under the moonlight it was peaceful. The sky was clear enough to spot a few stars despite the light pollution. The air was full of the scent of the Long Island Sound. Some days that was bad, but tonight it was exactly as the ocean should smell like.

Chiron turned his back on the water and faced inwards. To New York, Washington, the rest of the world. Everyone was panicking because they thought they were under attack. But they were all wrong. No one person, country or ideology was under attack. The entire foundation of the world was being targeted. The worst was yet to come.

As he stood there, it was all too easy to imagine that the glow on the horizon was from a world on fire rather than a city that never slept.

All that stood between seven billion people and the end of the world as they knew it, was ten people. All of whom were varying degrees of broken. But they were also Overwatch. No matter how hard he tried, Chiron couldn't stop the grin from forming.

"Game on".

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm writing this for two reasons. Fun and practice. So feel free to tell me everything you liked/didn't like about the writing and the plot. Every little helps!


End file.
